The spokesperson for the United Nations’ Secretary-General, Stéphane Dujarric, manifested great concern about the disastrous conditions of displaced people living in Al Hol camp, 94 percent of whom are women and children. In September 2019, UN-appointed human rights investigators denounced the inhumane living conditions of the camp, where about 34,000 children under the age of 12 were living, urging the international community to address their difficult situation.
The pandemic has worsened Al Hol’s critical situation, leading to the suspension of several health services and to a reduction in the number of workers in the camp. Furthermore, quarantine measures and movement restrictions are difficult to enact in such a precarious context. Four COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in Al Hol’s displaced camp so far.
More than 1,000 people have reportedly left the camp over the last two months and, according to the United Nations, local authorities have been trying to expedite departures of Syrian displaced families from the camp. The UN is particularly concerned about the possibility of forced departures and has urged Turkey to launch an independent investigation into the violations and abuses committed in the regions under the control of its forces in north, northeast and northwest Syria.
To read more, please visit:
https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/10/1075632
https://www.voanews.com/middle-east/islamic-state-families-be-cleared-al-hol-camp
Author: Margherita Curti; Editor: Matteo Consiglio