Palästinenser aushungern
14. Januar 2014, von Thomas von der Osten-Sacken – Hussein Ibish schreibt über die Tragödie, die sich gerade in Yarmouk abspielt, wo inzwischen über 50 Palästinenser verhungert sind, weil die syrische Armee und mit ihr verbündete Milizen wie die PFLP-GK das Camp seit Monaten von der Außenwelt abgeschnitten haben. Selbst palästinensischen Organisationen gelingt es nicht, Hilfe nach Yarmouk zu bringen.
Man stelle sich vor, welchen Aufschrei es weltweit gäbe, die Israelis würden eine Politik der gezielten Aushungerung palästinensischer Ortschaften betreiben. Und Israel wäre immerhin der Feind, das Assad Regime dagegen rühmt sich, ein großer Verteidiger der palästinensischen Sache innerhalb der “Achse des Widerstandes” zu sein.
There isn’t much the Palestinian people haven’t suffered. But the use of enforced starvation against them by the Syrian dictatorship of Bashar al-Assad at the Yarmouk refugee camp breaks new ground in cruelty. Hundreds are said to be facing imminent death by starvation, lack of water and medical care, and the loss, for almost a year now, of all heat and electricity.
Last weekend, at least 41 Palestinian refugees were reported to have died as a result of food and medicine shortages, and all the evidence suggests this account is a low estimate. The numbers continue to grow daily.
Rights groups said that today eight more Palestinians in Syria have died from malnutrition, including an 80-year-old, Jamil al-Qurabi, a 40-year-old, Hasan Shihabi, and a 50-year-old woman called Noor. Meanwhile 10-year-old Mahmoud al-Sabbagh and two 19-year-olds, Majid Imad Awad and Ziad al-Naji, were killed while protesting the blockade of the camp. Muhammad Ibrahim Dhahi is reported to have been tortured to death by regime forces, while Hasan Younis Nofal was killed by one of Assad’s now-notorious barrel bombs.
Yesterday a Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) convoy of trucks loaded with desperately-needed food and medicines were fired on by pro-Assad forces, most likely the so-called PFLP-GC, as they tried to enter the camps and were unable to deliver the urgent relief.