United Nations, April 9 (RHC)-- The United Nations has called for the opening of a humanitarian corridor in the Yarmouk refugee camp in southwestern Syria. The Palestinian refugee camp remains under pressure as fighting continues in the civilian area.

Stéphane Dujarric, the spokesperson of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), voiced concerns over the situation in the camp at a press briefing at the UN headquarters in New York. She noted that a number of militant groups, including the Takfiri ISIL, have stepped up fighting to gain control over the camp since April 1.

According to a report on the UN website, there are 3,500 children among the 18,000 residents stranded in Yarmouk. Dujarric called for a pause in the fighting for humanitarian aid to get through to the civilians, some of whom might be in need of safe evacuation.

So far, over 215,000 people have reportedly died in Syria, which has been gripped by deadly violence since March 2011. Nearly four million Syrians have sought refuge in other countries, and 7.6 million civilians have been internally displaced since the beginning of the crisis.