Daraa – Action GroupÂ
An unannounced visit by a delegation from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) to Daraa Camp in southern Syria has sparked discontent among camp residents and members of the Community Development Committee, after the secrecy surrounding the visit prevented any direct meeting with the delegation to present residents’ suffering and urgent humanitarian and service needs.
The delegation was led by Mr. Olaf Becker, Director of UNRWA Affairs in Jordan, and included visits to the UNRWA office, health clinic, and schools inside the camp, as well as a field tour through its alleyways. According to available information, discussions focused on the challenges faced by Palestinian refugees in Daraa, strategies to improve living conditions and infrastructure, and mechanisms to facilitate the voluntary return of displaced Palestinians currently residing in Jordan.
However, the lack of coordination with the local community and civil society committees left a negative impression among residents, who viewed the approach as exclusionary and lacking in transparency””effectively sidelining their voices from critical conversations about their present and future.
Members of the Community Development Committee emphasized that the key demands of residents include reconstruction of destroyed homes, repair of infrastructure, paving and lighting of streets, reinstatement of landline telephone services, and improved access to education, healthcare, and humanitarian aid””all of which have seen severe decline over the past years.
Around 900 Palestinian families currently reside in Daraa Camp under extremely harsh conditions, amid a dramatic decline in UNRWA services and the near-total absence of international and local aid organizations, despite repeated appeals.
Residents of Daraa Camp continue to call on humanitarian organizations, charitable foundations, and relevant authorities to enter the camp, hear their demands, and provide urgent and sustainable support that respects their dignity and restores hope for a decent life after years of suffering and marginalization.