Syrian Refugees Forced to Eat Stray Animals

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    A Palestinian refugee camp (Yarmouk) south of the Syrian capital Damascus, which accommodates tens of thousands of people in dire need, has received a convoy of food supplies, Press TV reports. The convoy containing 1,028 food rations entered the Yarmouk camp on Thursday. United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) spokesman Chris Gunness said after the initial deliveries that there had been "chaotic scenes" as the food was distributed, the first to enter the camp since January 21. He said each ration is enough to keep a family of eight going for 10 days. "We are encouraged by the delivery of this aid and the cooperation of the parties on the ground," Gunness said. "We hope to continue and increase substantially the amount of aid being delivered because the numbers of those needing assistance is in the tens of thousands, including 18,000 Palestinians, among them women and children." AFP quoted a Yarmouk resident as saying on Wednesday, "Many here have slaughtered and eaten cats and dogs, and even a donkey. One man who killed a dog couldn't find any meat to eat on its body, because even the dogs are starving." On January 14, the Palestinian Authority said militants fighting against the Syrian government are blocking aid access to the Yarmouk refugee camp. Many people have reportedly died in Yarmouk over the past few months because of food and medical shortages in the camp. Syria hosts half a million Palestinian refugees, most of them living in Yarmouk. The camp turned into a flashpoint area in Damascus when unrest broke out in the country in 2011.

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