MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the situation of the Yarmouk refugee camp in Syria

28.4.2015 - (2015/2664(RSP))

with request for inclusion in the agenda for a debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law
pursuant to Rule 135 of the Rules of Procedure

Ignazio Corrao, Fabio Massimo Castaldo, Rolandas Paksas, Valentinas Mazuronis on behalf of the EFDD Group

See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B8-0373/2015

B8‑0412/2015

European Parliament resolution on the situation of the Yarmouk refugee camp in Syria

(2015/2664(RSP))

The European Parliament,

 

– having regard to its previous resolutions on Syria, in particular that of 16 April 2014 on Syria: situation in certain vulnerable communities (2014/2695(RSP)) and of 18 September 2014, Situation in Iraq and Syria and the IS offensive including the persecution of minorities;

 

– having regard to the Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the situation in the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp in Syria of 18/4/2015;

 

– having regard to Statement of the High Representative and Vice-President Federica Mogherini and the Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides on the situation in Yarmouk, Syria, 10 April 2015;

 

- Having regard to the UN Security Council Press Statement on Yarmouk Refugee Camp of 20 April 2015, as well as on the call of the Members of the Security Council on all parties to immediately implement the relevant Security Council resolutions including Security Council resolutions 2139 (2014), 2165 (2014) and 2191 (2014);

 

– having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948,

 

– having regard to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the additional protocols thereto,

 

– having regard to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of 1966,

 

– having regard to the UN Declaration on the Elimination of all Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination based on Religion and Belief of 1981,

 

– having regard to UN Security Council resolution 2139 of 22 February 2014,

 

– having regard to the European Convention on Human Rights of 1950, and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union of 2000,

 

– having regard to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court,

 

– having regard to Rules 135 of its Rules of Procedure,

 

A.  whereas the ongoing violent crisis in Syria has resulted in a humanitarian catastrophe of a scale unprecedented in recent history, with more than 230 000 people, most of them civilians, killed, more than 6.5 million people internally displaced;

 

B.  whereas the Assad regime has largely repressed democracy and the rights of the minorities; whereas the increasing presence and infiltration of Islamist extremists and jihadists in rebels ranks has increased the chaotic situation of the country leading to major death toll amongst the civilian population;

 

C.  whereas Palestine refugees remain a particularly vulnerable group in the crisis in Syria; whereas many of them live in Yarmouk Camp, which for his strategic position is under heavy attack by regime forces and various armed groups, including since last 1 April IS whose fighters are reported to have arrived with their trademark beheadings, decapitating Palestinian fighters in the first days of the assault; whereas IS has reportedly joined forces with rival terrorist group and Al-Qaeda affiliate, the Al-Nusra Front, in order to control the camp, which could form an entry-point into the capital Damascus; all this leading to inhuman suffering of the 18 000 Palestinians staying in this area; whereas mainly forces of the Popular Front Liberation of Palestine and different Palestinian militias join government forces in common battle against jihadist in Yarmouk Camp

 

D.  whereas the fights between regime forces and various groups of heavily armed fighters are hindering access to Yarmouk camp where thousands remain trapped by fighting among armed groups.

 

 

1.  Expresses its profound sorrow at the unprecedented level of human suffering and loss of life, and expresses its solidarity with the families of all innocent victims of the Yarmouk camp; strongly condemns the violations of human rights and international humanitarian law by all the parties of the conflict, including the aerial bombing of the Assad regime and any human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law by IS and other armed groups opposing the regime;

 

2.  Calls for an immediate ceasefire to allow humanitarian access to the Yarmouk Camp and for the protection of civilians inside the Camp or relocation of civilians in other camps;

 

3.  Welcomes United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East’s (UNRWA) recent efforts in Syria and stressed the need to support the emergency relief effort for civilians in Yarmouk;

 

4.  Invites the international community: to react promptly to the request of UNRWA through funding the $30 million emergency and to provide the diplomatic and political support for UNRWA to provide assistance for civilians who are unwilling or unable to leave Yarmouk; to assist those who want to "temporarily relocate" from the camp in a timely and safely manner;

 

5.  Calls on all parties to support the United Nations framework and to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law, international human rights and refugee laws, and demanded that all parties cease all attacks against civilians, including shelling and aerial bombardment.

 

6.  Is worried for the further escalation of the conflict

 

7.  Remains convinced that there can be no sustainable peace in Syria without accountability for the crimes committed during the conflict, including for those based on religious or ethnic grounds; reiterates its call for the referral of the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court and supports all initiatives in this direction;

 

8.  Enhanced the EU and Member States to play a more active political role looking for alternative solutions to solve the Syrian crisis, without neglecting the possibility to involve Russia and other Security Council's members in negotiations aimed -at least- at granting an immediate ceasefire to allow humanitarian relief.

 

9.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Vice-President / High Representative, the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the UN-Arab League Special Envoy to Syria, and all the parties involved in the conflict in Syria.