Damascus – Action Group
The Al-Taqaddum neighborhood, part of the Yarmouk camp south of Damascus, is facing a dire humanitarian and service crisis. Basic services are almost entirely absent, and widespread destruction of infrastructure and public facilities is hindering residents’ return to their homes.
According to a correspondent from the Action Group inside the neighborhood, the overall situation reflects the extent of the deterioration caused by years of conflict. Large areas of the neighborhood have become almost deserted, with most houses closed and many reduced to uninhabitable shells.
Field observations show that side streets remain broken and covered in rubble, while only a handful of shops are currently operating. The return of displaced residents remains limited.
The neighborhood suffers from a near-total lack of basic services, including infrastructure, street lighting, and rubble removal. Limited efforts to clear debris and reopen roads are ongoing in some areas of the camp.
This reality comes in conjunction with increasing calls from residents for service and municipal authorities and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) to assume their responsibilities in rehabilitating the infrastructure, removing rubble, and securing basic services, thus creating the conditions for the return of the residents.
In statements to the Action Group’s correspondent, several residents of the Al-Taqaddum neighborhood said,
“We demand that the relevant authorities take immediate action to remove the rubble, open the roads, and restore basic services so that we can return to our homes with dignity and safety.” Others added,
“The current situation is uninhabitable. The streets are closed, the destruction is widespread, and we need serious intervention to restore the bare minimum of living conditions.
” The residents emphasize that the continuation of this situation exacerbates their suffering, given the absence of sustainable solutions for reconstruction and rehabilitation of the affected areas within the camp.