Yarmouk’s only school celebrates year’s end

Teachers from the only operational school in the Yarmouk Camp held a graduation ceremony to mark the end of the semester on Monday, as shown in pictures posted to the Yarmouk Camp Press’s Facebook page.

“We live in a joyful atmosphere in Yarmouk camp, despite the blockade and the bombing and the hunger,” one of the students said in a video of the certificate celebration.

“We will stay here.”

The Islamic State entered the regime-encircled camp at the beginning of April, and despite resistance from local Palestinian militias, still holds 70 percent of the camp, according to an estimate from the Action Group for Palestinians of Syria.

“The Islamic State and Nusra have not interfered until now in civilian life in the camp as they don’t want to turn the people against them, Walid Agha, an activist in southern Damascus with the Revolution’s Spring told Syria Direct.

“What is more important to them is military and political control and striking [Palestinian militia] Aknaf Beit al-Maqdis,” Agha said.

Al-Jarmuq was originally an UNRWA school.

“Now the remaining university graduates in the camp teach the elementary and intermediate levels,” a resident of the camp told Syria Direct on Monday.

“It is the only operational school in the camp, located in the camp’s west where there is no military presence,” the resident said. 

-Photo courtesy of Yarmouk Media Office