Yarmouk Camp | Action Group
Group: Despite the gradual return of hundreds of families to Yarmouk Camp and the slow but steady attempts to revive life there, the social and cultural landscape of this “capital of the diaspora” faces a worrying challenge: the weakness of youth initiatives.
Residents have noticed a significant decline in the activism that Palestinian youth led in recent years, leaving them perplexed as to the reasons behind this silence and weakness.
In a Facebook post, Ahmed Ta’meh writes, “Today, there are no volunteer groups or cultural or service activities to speak of, amidst the residents’ questions. They wonder, ‘Where are the youth of the camp? Why have their voices fallen silent after all they offered in the most difficult circumstances?'”
He points out that the youth of Yarmouk Camp were on the front lines during the darkest periods: during the siege, they led relief teams and field hospitals; during the destruction, they spearheaded temporary clean-up efforts and attempts to restore essential services.
Today, however, the situation is different; their presence is absent from the social, service, and cultural scene.”
He concludes his post with, “The camp still needs their energy to return to what it once was: a camp of life despite the pain.”
Residents express their concern about this absence, noting that the camp, which suffered the horrors of bombing and displacement, still desperately needs the energy and innovative ideas of its youth to rebuild its social and cultural fabric and revive it, so that it may once again become the ‘camp of life despite the pain’ they knew.
Abu al-Haytham, however, had a different opinion, saying, “We were always on the front lines, but weak-willed individuals have been exploiting us. We worked for Yarmouk and its people, but received no thanks or appreciation.” He points out that many pose for photos with activists to show support, but it was all for personal gain. He also criticized the PLO’s decision to begin restoring the camp’s cemetery instead of providing services to the suffering residents.
Observers note that economic pressures, repeated displacement, the emigration of young activists, and the psychological scars left by years of conflict may have negatively impacted the youth’s ability to organize and take initiative. However, residents insist that “our youth are our hope” for restoring the camp to its former glory.
The question remains: Will the new local leadership and civil institutions be able to unleash these latent energies, or will the lack of youth initiatives continue to slow Yarmouk’s recovery?