Syria: Saint Paul's fund delegation visits kindergarden in Damascus

Over ten women from the Saint Paul's fund visited the al-Fares Zahbi kindergarden near the Islamic State-controlled (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp, Friday. The Saint Paul delegation attended a musical performance and a play about the Syrian conflict, describing the conditions people have been living in since violence erupted back in 2011. The women are offering humanitarian aid to students and displaced children in a gesture of psychological support as the school year is set to begin. They also awarded female workers of the kindergarden with medals. Members of IS have reportedly taken control of large areas of the Yarmouk camp, which is located just six km (3.7 miles) from the residence of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad. The United Nations estimates that around 18,000 civilians are trapped inside Yarmouk, including a large number of children. Prior to the Syrian conflict, the camp was home to around 160,000 Palestinian refugees. The Syrian army has evacuated many of the refugees from the camp, including 2,000 last Sunday.