The Islamic State (IS) has reportedly begun beheading captives after taking over the majority of a large Palestinian refugee camp in Syria.
A report in the The Independent says that UN officials said scenes on the ground in the Yarmouk camp just south of Damascus were “beyond inhumane”, as rebels from the so-called IS and al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra vied for control of the camp, which houses around 18,000 civilians, World Bulletin reported on Tuesday.
The attack on Yarmouk began last Wednesday, and according to local activist Hatem al-Dimashqi clashes and the sounds of shelling continued on Easter Monday.
Access to Yarmouk Camp
The UN Security Council has demanded humanitarian access to the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk in Damascus.
According to BBC, one UN official described the situation for the 18,000 refugees there as “beyond inhumane”.
The situation has deteriorated since 1 April, when Islamic State launched an offensive.
Palestinian militiamen opposed to the Syrian government and some Free Syrian Army fighters are leading the fight against the IS militants.
‘This Has to Stop’
The chair of the 15-member Security Council, Jordan’s ambassador Dina Kawar, called for the “protection of civilians... humanitarian access... and life-saving assistance”.
Delivering a report to the council, Pierre Krahenbuhl, of the Palestinian Unwra relief agency, said the situation was “more desperate than ever”.
The Palestinian UN ambassador, Riyad Mansour, said that saving the refugees was his government’s main priority.
He appealed to member nations to relocate the refugees elsewhere in Syria or abroad.
Ahmed Majdalani, an official with the Palestine Liberation Organization, said a delegation was on its way to Damascus to discuss a humanitarian corridor with the Syrian government and Palestinian factions in the camp.
Another Unwra official, Chris Gunness, said: “The situation in the camp is beyond inhumane.
