NEW YORK

 The UN Security Council on Monday demanded humanitarian access to the Yarmouk refugee camp in the Syrian capital Damascus.

The camp, which had been besieged by fighting between government and opposition forces since 2012, has been engulfed by intense fighting since April 1 when Daesh militants reportedly entered the camp.

Palestinian armed factions and Syrian opposition group Free Syrian Army are reportedly leading the fight against Daesh.

"The members call for the protection of civilians in the camp (and) for ensuring humanitarian access to the area, including by providing life-saving assistance and ensuring the safe passage and evacuation of civilians," Jordan's UN ambassador Dina Kawar, who chairs the 15-member Security Council, told reporters after a meeting on the issue.

The council's statement came a day after UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, pleaded for urgent humanitarian access to the camp, which houses about 18,000 Palestinian refugees.

Delivering a report to the council, UNRWA Commissioner General Pierre Krahenbuhl said the situation of civilians in the camp is a "test" for the integrity of the entire international community.

He said "concerted action" by council members was urgently needed to alleviate the suffering of civilians, including nearly 3,500 children.

Palestinian UN envoy Riyad Mansour also urged the Security Council on Monday to take action to secure a safe passage for the Palestinian refugees in the camp.

The conflict in Syria, which began in March 2011, has claimed more than 220,000 lives, according to the UN.

The unrest created by the civil war paved the way for extremist movements, such as Daesh, to gain a foothold in the region.