UNRWA Staff Member Shot Dead in Damascus

An UNRWA staff member in Syria, aged 28 years, was killed while on his way to catch a bus to work last Suday.

Reports say staff member’s death was caused by a stray bullet or one fired by a sniper.

This is the second death of an UNRWA staff member in the Yarmouk area in three days.

According to UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), ten Palestine refugees in Yarmouk have reportedly died due to ongoing armed clashes.

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Children in their classroom at a school run by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), on the first day of the school year.

UN Photo

Today, UNRWA expressed condemnation of the tragic loss of life of its member and expresses the view that threats to Palestine refugees and other civilians can be avoided.

In addition, the UN agency also has expressed its concern about the threats posed by the conflict to the safety of Palestine refugees and Agency staff across Syria.

The UN agency add that this concern continues to escalate as the Syria armed conflict worsens.

UNRWA reiterates its calls to Syrian auhtorities to ensure protection of refugees and civilians across war-torn Syria.

The agency stated that there seems to be 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

Since the adoption of resolution 2042, the Security Council unanimously called on the Syrian government to honor all its obligations, including a sustained cessation of violence.

However, the regime has unleashed yet another wave of horrific violence against its own people resulting in the deaths of scores of Syrians daily.

Reports say the government’s use of shelling and heavy weaponry, in particular in Homs, has reached levels that surpass those before the ceasefire.

In addition, reports say precious little progress had been made on the issue of humanitarian access, with an estimated one million civilians still in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.

The violence in Syria, which began in March 2011 as a protest movement similar to those witnessed across the Middle East and North Africa, has claimed over 10,000 lives, mostly civilians, and displaced tens of thousands.

Mina Fabulous follows the news, especially what is going on in the US State Department. Mina turns State Department waffle into plain English. Mina Fabulous is the pen name of Carmen Avalino, the NewsBlaze production editor. When she isn’t preparing stories for NewsBlaze writers, she writes stories, but to separate her editing and writing identities, she uses the name given by her family and friends.