Working Group | South Damascus
One of the residents of the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp, south of the capital Damascus, demanded that the relevant government authorities and those responsible for the camp’s affairs intervene quickly to restore his right to his land, part of which has been seized by an influential figure.
This came in a post on social media, where the refugee explained that the official had seized part of the land of his destroyed house, attaching photos of ongoing excavation work aimed at constructing a new building on the ruins of his home.
He wrote in his post: “Today, I am raising the issue of an influential person seizing part of my house where I have lived for many years.” My house, located on Palestine Street, the old  Grocery market, the first housing building, was destroyed during the war. I had hoped to return to restore it, but I was surprised to see the foundations being dug to build a garden wall for this official before any legal ruling regarding the ownership of the land was issued.
He added that this dispute could affect around ten families in the area. And he called on the relevant authorities to intervene immediately to stop any construction work until the law decides on the case.
For his part, one of the camp residents called on the rightful owner to file an urgent complaint with the governor, supported by photos and documents, in addition to filing an expedited lawsuit to stop the ongoing work and protect the rights of the affected families.
The lack of financial resources is considered one of the main reasons why hundreds of families have not repaired their homes, which were destroyed due to the military operations launched by the Syrian government forces, supported by Russian airstrikes, to control the camp and its surroundings in 2018.