The Syrian security forces have tightened grip on the main entrances to Yarmouk Camp for Palestinian Refugees, in Rif Dimashq, blocking civilians’ free access out of and into the area.

A new batch of checkpoints established a couple of weeks ago have also hindered the entry of reconstruction workers and companies.

Over recent months, Syrian authorities have granted over 4,000 permits to families wishing to return to the camp and retrieve their property. At the same time, more than 1,800 permits have been issued for house reconstruction in the camp. The residents said the permits are null and avoid as authorities continue to block their defacto implementation on the ground.

The unabated warfare has had disastrous fallouts on Palestinian refugee camps across the Syrian territories. Palestinians who remained in Yarmouk or returned to the camp sometime later have been struggling for survival, in an area that has been severely affected by the deadly hostilities.

Before the crisis started in 2011, Yarmouk was a bustling home to almost 30 percent of the Palestine refugee population in Syria. Today, the weight of displacement, hardship and the loss of loved ones add to the difficult living conditions in Yarmouk.