Fate of Palestinian refugees in Syria still unclear

The fate of 1,147 Palestinian refugees in Syria is still unclear, Quds Press reported on Sunday. The Task Group of the Palestinians in Syria noted that those who remain unaccounted for include 82 women.

According to the group’s report, this is only the number of Palestinian refugees who were documented as being arrested by Syrian regime forces over the past six years. The actual number of missing people could be much higher due to documentation difficulties.

The report pointed out that 458 Palestinian refugees were tortured to death inside Syrian government prisons. The figure was determined after direct contact with the families of the victims.

Meanwhile, those Palestinian refugees who were displaced from Khan Al-Sheikh refugee camp and moved to Idlib appealed for UNRWA to bear its responsibility towards them. The Task Group said it received many messages from refugees displaced from the camp describing the difficult conditions. One said that they do not have even “the simplest of needs for a simple life” as they are unable to afford rents for their homes and suffer from severe shortage of water and fuel.

Idlib is suffering from a dire economic situation, severe lack of healthcare services and a destroyed infrastructure, including schools, houses and communications systems. All of this is reflected in the lives of the displaced refugees who fled from Khan Al-Sheikh.