UNITED NATIONS, April 14 -- The UN Relief and Works Agency's Commissioner-General on Tuesday stressed the importance of providing aid for civilians who remain in or have fled the war- battered Yarmouk camp in Damascus, the Syrian national capital, said a UN spokesman at a daily briefing here.

The commissioner-general, Pierre Krahenbuhl, discussed with Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Miqdad the importance of resuming distributions to civilians remaining in or unable to leave Yarmouk; of ensuring the safe exit of those civilians wishing to temporarily leave Yarmouk; and broadening the humanitarian response to those civilians in the immediate vicinity of Yarmouk, said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

The number of people in the camp has dwindled to less than 6, 000 residents from 18,000 before the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL, an Islamic extremist rebel group, launched attacks earlier this month.

The offensive by the Islamic State, aiming to seize the camp from rivaling rebels, worsened the already appalling conditions for its residents who have long been plagued by the governments' besiege since 2013.

UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) is well aware that the situation remains critical for thousands of civilians and it will spare no effort to find ways to assist civilians inside Yarmouk and to further improve the support to those who have fled the camp, said the spokesman.

UNRWA will follow developments in the coming days very closely and reiterates its call for all possible measures to be taken to ensure respect for and protection of Palestinian and Syrian civilians living inside this camp, said the spokesman.

Krahenbuhl concluded his humanitarian mission to the city of Damascus, where the camp is located, Tuesday.