Launched by the Damascus Governorate and NGOs, including the Union of Palestinian Students in Syria, the initiative aims to help displaced families return to their homes after cleaning and contribute to efforts to improve public services afford.
According to Damascus city governor Muhammad Tareq Krishati, the blockade imposed by the United States and its western allies is slowing down the rebuilding of the camp, leading to the launch of this proposal, which has helped 1,800 families return to their homes.
The governor’s office provides all administrative facilities and supports volunteers with its limited resources and capacity to restore water, sewage and electricity networks in neighborhoods where civilians live, he said.
Youth group leaders are making it clear that their efforts to support the restoration of services, debris removal and cleaning of homes, businesses and schools are aimed at speeding the recovery and return of displaced people.
Such actions boost people’s morale and encourage them to return, and speed up the process of restoring the camp to its pre-war condition.
Yarmouk was founded in 1957 two kilometers south of downtown Damascus and had a population of around 700,000 before the war broke out in 2011, including 200,000 Palestinians.
In 2012, terrorist groups invaded the camp and its entire population was displaced until the Syrian army managed to liberate the camp on April 21, 2018 after a 33-day operation.
According to the damage assessment committees, 20 percent of the homes were completely destroyed, 40 percent were partially destroyed, while the remaining 40 percent are habitable but need rehabilitation.
The Palestinians call Yarmouk the capital of the diaspora and it was the headquarters of their main national factions, led by Fatah and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and a launching pad for the armed action against Israel led by Yasser Arafat. in 1965.
jf/fm