In an interview with the UN News Centre, the Commissioner-General of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNWRA), Filippo Grandi, warned that providing access and resources to the 500,000 Palestinian refugees trapped in Syria were among the “most urgent” priorities but could only be achieved with appropriate financing from the international community.

“This is very urgent and important for all of us on the ground,” Mr. Grandi said, adding that it was also incumbent on the international community and the Security Council “to find agreement on how to put an end to this violence.”

“Otherwise,” he added, “the suffering will skyrocket and with it the enormous needs of these populations in distress.”

As the fighting in Syria continues to escalate, the Palestinian refugee population there has come under increasing threat. Twelve Palestinian refugees were killed by heavy weaponry on 7 February in the Damascus suburb of Yarmouk; five of them were members of the same family.

Following that incident, UNRWA cautioned that the Palestinian refugees were unable to move around safely and faced severe restrictions on movement owing to escalating threats from shelling and armed clashes, exacerbating vulnerabilities that existed prior to the Syrian conflict.

One constant that UNRWA has encountered since the uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad began over 22 months ago has been the slow trickle of funding needed to prop up the on-the-ground relief efforts, particularly as the Agency’s tasks have shifted from developmental assistance to more immediate emergency aid.

According to statistics released by UNRWA earlier this year, most of the Palestinian refugees in Syria now rely on the Agency as their sole means of support. Several UNRWA schools in the country are currently acting as a last place of refuge for 9,000 people, while tens of thousands languish under harsh conditions in neighbouring countries. Moreover, some 20,000 people have fled to the over-crowded refugee camps of Lebanon.

Mr. Grandi noted that out of the $1.5 billion UN-wide humanitarian appeal put out in January, $90 million were, in fact, destined for UNRWA’s relief efforts over the next six months. Nevertheless, he cautioned that more funding would be needed in order to maintain crucial humanitarian assistance work.

With jobs steadily disappearing across Syria and food becoming increasingly scarce, UNRWA’s role in assisting the Palestinians trapped in Syria has slowly evolved from providing regular services – ranging from education to health needs – to bringing emergency services to a population trapped by a destructive and overwhelming conflict.

As a result, the UNRWA chief pointed out that regular services were now being substituted with emergency ones such as distributing cash, food supplies, and medical aid to the beleaguered refugee population.

He further noted that, unlike Syrian nationals, Palestinians had so-called “limited flight options” as neighbouring countries, such as Jordan, had capped their admittance numbers to the Palestinian refugee population.

“The challenges are to continue to provide the services that we provide to the half a million plus people – keep schools open, keep health centers running, keep assistance to the poor going,” he continued.

“That’s an increasing challenge in a situation of growing insecurity, lack of access, and other problems that affect everybody’s humanitarian action in Syria.”

Last Friday, two Palestinian men were hanged in public on Palestine Street in Yarmouk, a suburb in the south of Damascus city.

“UNRWA is shocked and distressed by these killings and the manner in which they were carried out,” the UN agency said in a statement.

“International humanitarian law applies to all parties to the conflict in Syria and extra-judicial killings are in violation of that law. UNRWA particularly deplores the increased levels of fear and trauma these deaths will generate among Palestine refugees across Syria.”

Prior to the Syria conflict, Yarmouk and its neighboring areas were home to over 150,000 Palestine refugees living alongside approximately one million Syrians.

“UNRWA recalls assurances from the Government of Syria to respect the neutrality of Palestine refugee camps. UNRWA calls on the Government of Syria to fulfil these assurances and to avoid conducting armed conflict in residential areas, including in Palestine refugee camps,” the agency said.

Despite repeated statements from Palestinian officials that Syria camps are neutral in the internal conflict, Palestinians have been adversely affected by fighting in the two year conflict.

“In December 2012, intense fighting triggered large scale displacement of Palestinians and Syrians living in Yarmouk. Since then, armed opposition groups have maintained a presence in residential areas, with government forces positioned at the northern entrance of Yarmouk,” UNRWA said.

At least 20,000 Palestinian refugees have fled to Lebanon and endure difficult conditions, with limited access to basic services and cramped housing, according to Maan news agency.

The Action Group for Palestinians of Syria said this week that around 1,038 Palestinians have been killed during the Syrian conflict, which has claimed the lives of around 70,000 people.

“UNRWA deplores the tragic loss of life and expresses the view that threats to Palestine refugees and other civilians can be avoided. All sides must refrain from conducting the conflict in civilian areas and must comply with their obligations under international law,” the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) said in a news release.

“UNRWA has informed the Syrian authorities of the death of its staff member and will reiterate its calls to the authorities to afford protection from the effects of armed conflict for refugees and other civilians across Syria,” it added.

According to UNWRA, in the early morning of Sunday, 9 September, a 28-year-old staff member was on his way to catch a bus to work when he was shot dead in the Or’uba area, near the Yarmouk residential area of the Syrian capital, Damascus. Yarmouk is home to approximately one million Syrians and more than 150,000 Palestinian refugees.

More than 18,000 people, mostly civilians, have died since the uprising against Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad began some 18 months ago. There has reportedly been a major escalation in violence in recent weeks in many towns and villages, as well as the country’s two biggest cities, Aleppo and Damascus.

“There was no shelling in the immediate vicinity at the time the staff member was killed, and family sources confirm that the staff member was struck by a single bullet to his chest,” UNRWA stated. “While there have been persistent allegations of sniper activity around the Yarmouk area, it could not be ascertained whether the staff member’s death was caused by a stray bullet or one fired by a sniper.”

The agency noted that the death is the second death of an UNRWA staff member in the Yarmouk area in three days, and that, between 6 and 8 September, ten Palestinian refugees in Yarmouk died as a result of the Syrian conflict.

“There is no sign of any easing in the intensity of the armed conflict that has been raging since 29 August in the residential areas surrounding Yarmouk,” UNRWA added. On 7 September, two shells exploded in the compound of an UNRWA school, causing minor damage.

In previous statements, UNRWA has expressed its concern about the threats posed by the conflict to the safety and well-being of Palestinian refugees as well as agency staff across the country. “This concern continues to grow as the Syria armed conflict deepens,” UNRWA stated.

Established by the General Assembly in 1949, UNRWA is mandated to provide assistance and protection to a population of some five million registered Palestinian refugees in various countries throughout the Middle East. Its services include education, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, health care and emergency assistance.