Published : 01-01-2026
Damascus – Action Group
The Yarmouk Camp municipality's decision to demolish a shop on the camp's main street has sparked outrage and raised questions among residents and local activists, amid a lack of any official explanation from the relevant authorities regarding the decision's rationale.
Sources told the Action Group that the decision, issued on December 30, 2025, targets a shop owned by a camp resident. The owner maintains that he possesses all the necessary legal documents permitting him to build and continue his business. However, the municipality issued the demolition order without providing clear reasons or explanations regarding the legal or regulatory considerations upon which it was based.
This decision comes within the context of a broader campaign that has included sealing several shops and buildings in the camp with red wax, under the pretext of lacking the required permits. This has further fueled residents' concerns about the criteria and mechanisms for implementing such measures without prior notice or transparency.
Local reactions
Activists and residents of the camp criticized what they described as a lack of transparency in the administrative procedures, arguing that the measure disregards the fragile economic situation in Yarmouk Camp, which is still struggling to gradually return to normalcy after years of destruction and displacement. They demanded that the municipality clarify the legal grounds behind the decision and open channels of dialogue with shop owners before making decisions that could harm their interests.
Others expressed concerns that such measures would hinder economic recovery and reconstruction efforts in the camp, which requires support and encouragement for commercial and professional projects to create job opportunities and build a stable economic environment.
For its part, the Yarmouk Camp municipality has yet to issue any official statement explaining the reasons for the demolition decision or responding to the criticisms leveled against it. Furthermore, no information has been received from higher government authorities regarding whether there is a new regulatory framework or the implementation of any construction and development plans within the camp.
These developments come at a time when Yarmouk camp is still witnessing a gradual reconstruction of damaged buildings and infrastructure, following widespread destruction during the years of the Syrian conflict, which affected nearly three-quarters of the camp area and led to the displacement of the majority of its residents, and then the gradual return of some of them.
Damascus – Action Group
The Yarmouk Camp municipality's decision to demolish a shop on the camp's main street has sparked outrage and raised questions among residents and local activists, amid a lack of any official explanation from the relevant authorities regarding the decision's rationale.
Sources told the Action Group that the decision, issued on December 30, 2025, targets a shop owned by a camp resident. The owner maintains that he possesses all the necessary legal documents permitting him to build and continue his business. However, the municipality issued the demolition order without providing clear reasons or explanations regarding the legal or regulatory considerations upon which it was based.
This decision comes within the context of a broader campaign that has included sealing several shops and buildings in the camp with red wax, under the pretext of lacking the required permits. This has further fueled residents' concerns about the criteria and mechanisms for implementing such measures without prior notice or transparency.
Local reactions
Activists and residents of the camp criticized what they described as a lack of transparency in the administrative procedures, arguing that the measure disregards the fragile economic situation in Yarmouk Camp, which is still struggling to gradually return to normalcy after years of destruction and displacement. They demanded that the municipality clarify the legal grounds behind the decision and open channels of dialogue with shop owners before making decisions that could harm their interests.
Others expressed concerns that such measures would hinder economic recovery and reconstruction efforts in the camp, which requires support and encouragement for commercial and professional projects to create job opportunities and build a stable economic environment.
For its part, the Yarmouk Camp municipality has yet to issue any official statement explaining the reasons for the demolition decision or responding to the criticisms leveled against it. Furthermore, no information has been received from higher government authorities regarding whether there is a new regulatory framework or the implementation of any construction and development plans within the camp.
These developments come at a time when Yarmouk camp is still witnessing a gradual reconstruction of damaged buildings and infrastructure, following widespread destruction during the years of the Syrian conflict, which affected nearly three-quarters of the camp area and led to the displacement of the majority of its residents, and then the gradual return of some of them.
