Palestinians in Syria cut off from aid once more - U.N.

Residents walk as they receive aid at the Palestinian refugee camp in Yarmouk, south of Damascus May 21, 2014. REUTERS/Rame Alsayed

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of longtime Palestinian refugees in a camp on the outskirts of the Syrian capital have been cut off from United Nations emergency aid for nearly two months by armed groups that are preventing access, a U.N. official said.

Up to 18,000 people are living inside the devastated Yarmouk camp, which is caught between government forces and Syrian insurgent groups including al Qaeda's Nusra Front. Food, water and medicine are scarce.