Hundreds evacuated from the Yarmouk refugee camp

Hundreds of patients, injured people, children, elderly, pregnant women and persons with disabilities were evacuated from the Yarmouk refugee camp in Syria, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said.

In its statement, the Society said nearly 100 refugees were evacuated from the camp every day in cooperation with the Syrian Red Crescent and the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). The critical cases were transferred to the Society’s Jaffa Hospital near Damascus.

Volunteers who helped evacuate the camp’s residents said hunger has led to them suffering severe malnutrition, fatigue, weakness, dizziness, anaemia and miscarriages as well as skin diseases, mainly scabies due to lack of clean water.

They added that the tragic situation inside the camp claimed the lives of tens of Palestinian refugees; mainly those who suffer from critical illnesses; heart disease, diabetes, anaemia and kidney failure as well as social problems including violence, suicide and homelessness which left many children orphaned.

The Palestinian Red Crescent operates one hospital inside the Yarmouk refugee camp which continued to serve the camp’s residents despite the damages sustained to the hospital’s properties and the death of four of its medical team. The hospital’s medicines and ambulances warehouse has also been looted numerous times.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society operates three hospitals in Syria; in the Yarmouk refugee camp, in Mezze near Damascus and the third in the camp in Homs. The Society also operates several medical centres across Syria including; the Deir Yassin Medical Centre near Damascus, the Al-Carmel Dental Centre and a prosthetics factory.