Typhoid cases near Syria's Yarmouk refugee camp nearly double in single day

A UN body fears that there will be more cases of typhoid in Syria's Yarmouk refugee camp after the number of confirmed cases nearly doubled in a single day this week, a UN spokesperson told journalists here Thursday.

The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has confirmed 11 cases of typhoid in Yalda, a district neighboring Yarmouk on the outskirts of the Syrian capital, Damascus, so far this week, including five cases confirmed on Wednesday alone, UN associate spokesperson Eri Kaneko said at a daily news briefing.

UNRWA did not report the number of cases within Yarmouk, reporting instead that the agency has not had access to the camp since March 28. However the agency fears that the number of cases within Yarmouk will be higher given the conditions in the camp, said Kaneko.

UNRWA again renewed calls for humanitarian access to Yarmouk and said that without access the widespread human suffering in the camp would continue, she added.

Yarmouk is located in southern Damascus and its population includes 18,000 refugees from neighboring Palestine. Residents of the camp say that they live without access to electricity, water, heating and only eat once a day, according to UNRWA.