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Overseen by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, the refugee camp has seen a spike in violence since early 2021
Greater than 100 individuals have been murdered at a refugee camp far in Syria’s northeast during the last 18 months, the United Nations stated, suggesting that Kurdish militia teams operating the crowded facility are struggling to maintain its inhabitants protected.
Since January 2021, not less than 106 killings have been documented on the al-Hol camp close to the border with Iraq, based on the UN’s resident coordinator for Syria, Imran Riza, who stated the refugee hub had grow to be a “very harsh place.”
Although numerous the murders stay unsolved, Riza stated “many” of the victims have been girls, noting a “nice deal of gender-based violence” inside the camp. Some 94% of its 56,000 residents are girls and youngsters, most of whom both fled the Islamic State terrorist group, or are associated to IS fighters and have become refugees sooner or later throughout Syria’s decade-long civil warfare.
The refugee web site in al-Hol has operated intermittently over the a long time, first established through the 1991 Gulf Battle between america and Iraq and later reopened after Washington’s 2003 invasion to topple Iraqi strongman Saddam Hussein. In 2016, US-backed Kurdish militants reoccupied the camp amid fierce combating with IS, with its inhabitants progressively hovering to tens of hundreds. It now holds round 27,000 Iraqis, 19,000 Syrians and 12,000 nationals from third international locations, Riza stated, including that whereas some Iraqis had been repatriated, many governments are nonetheless reluctant to assist residents return house.
“Nearly all of the inhabitants there are kids. They’re harmless. If you happen to go away them in a spot like al-Hol, you are basically condemning them to not having a future,” the UN official continued, arguing “The one resolution is emptying the camp.”
Whereas the location is ostensibly overseen by American-backed Kurdish fighters, late final 12 months the US navy warned Islamic State was utilizing the camp for “recruitment and indoctrination,” because the terrorist group makes an attempt to consolidate and regroup following main defeats by the hands of US, Russian and Syrian forces.
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