2021. 04. 21.

UNICEF urges repatriation of all children in Syria’s Al-Hol camp following deadly fire | | UN News

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UNICEF urges repatriation of all children in Syria’s Al-

Hol camp following deadly re

© UNICEF/Masoud Hasen A baby is screened for malnutrition at Al-Hol camp in northern Syria.

    

28 February 2021 Peace and Security (/en/news/topic/peace-and-security)

The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Sunday urged all

(https://www.unicef.org/mena/press-releases/unicef-calls-safe-reintegration-and-
repatriation-all-children-al-hol-camp-and-across) countries to repatriate and safely
reintegrate their young nationals being held at Syria’s largest camp for refugees and
internally-displaced, following a deadly weekend re at Al-Hol camp which saw at
least three children die, and another 15 injured.

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2021. 04. 21. UNICEF urges repatriation of all children in Syria’s Al-Hol camp following deadly fire | | UN News

In and around the notorious camp which has housed many families of alleged extremist ghters
since the defeat of ISIL in Syria and neighbouring Iraq, “there are more than 22,000 foreign
children of at least 60 nationalities who languish in camps and prisons, in addition to many
thousands of Syrian children”, said UNICEF (https://www.unicef.org/) Regional Director for the
Middle East and North Africa, Ted Chaiban.

According to the UN, a re broke out on Saturday evening during a family gathering among
displaced Syrian camp residents. One woman reportedly died along with the three children, and
at least 11 adults were injured. At least 20 people overall remain in hospital, with six reported to
be in critical condition.

Henrietta H. Fore
@unicefchief

Devastating news. I am deeply saddened by reports that at

least three children have died in a fire at Al-Hol camp, Syria.
My thoughts go out to the families affected.
 
These dangerous camps are no place for children. A longer-
term solution is well overdue.

Bo Viktor Nylund @bvnylund

Distressing reports of children dying in last night's fire at Al-Hol. @UNICEF
& partners are following up with those in hospitals & in camp to provide
needed support. We said it many times, a longer-term solution for children
in Al-Hol is long overdue.
france24.com/en/live-news/2…

3:59 PM · Feb 28, 2021

230 11 Share this Tweet

No basic services
“Children in Al-Hol are faced not only with the stigma they are living with, but also with very
dif cult living conditions where basic service are scarce or in some cases unavailable”, said Mr.
Chaiban.

“The detention of children is a measure of last resort and should be for the shortest time
possible. Children should not be detained based solely on suspected family ties with armed
groups or the membership of family members in armed groups.”

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2021. 04. 21. UNICEF urges repatriation of all children in Syria’s Al-Hol camp following deadly fire | | UN News

Earlier this month, independent UN human rights experts noted that

(https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/02/1084172) an “unknown number” of foreign nationals
had died in the squalid camp of Al-Hol and Roj, in northeast Syria, urging their home countries to
repatriate their citizens as soon as possible, dismissing claims that it was too dif cult to deal
with the non-State groups controlling the local area.

Mr. Chaiban said Member States should do everything possible to reintegrate the children into
their own societies and repatriate them in a “safe and digni ed way”

“We call on all member states to provide children - who are their citizens or born to their
nationals- with civil documentation to prevent statelessness. This is in line with the best
interests of the child and in compliance with international standards.

Syria aid chiefs denounce ‘dangerous conditions’

The UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria, Imran Riza
(https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/pro les/imran-riza-0), and the Regional Humanitarian
Coordinator for the Syria Crisis, Mr. Muhannad Hadi
(https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/pro les/muhannad-hadi), expressed their sorrow over
the deadly re at Al Hol, in a statement also released on Sunday.

They extended their heartfelt sympathy to the affected families and wished those injured a
speedy recovery.

“They further emphasize that this distressing event underlines the fact that no one – most of all
innocent children – should be living under the challenging and potentially dangerous
humanitarian conditions in Al Hol camp.”

Humanitarian partners working at Al-Hol have mobilized to provide urgent assistance, and UN
and humanitarian partners provide a “comprehensive range of humanitarian assistance to the
camp, including emergency and primary health care; water; shelter; non-food items, food and
hygiene distributions; nutrition; and protection”, said the statement.

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2021. 04. 21. UNICEF urges repatriation of all children in Syria’s Al-Hol camp following deadly fire | | UN News

© UNICEF/Delil Souleiman A young boy photographed at Al-Hol refugee camp in the northeastern desert of
Syria. (July 2019)

Fires not uncommon

With almost 62,000 residents, Al-Hol is the largest camp for displaced people in Syria. More
than 80 per cent of the population are women and children.

Accidental res are not uncommon in the camp, said the senior UN of cials, with families often
resorting to using cooking stoves inside their tents for warmth, particularly during winter when
temperatures regularly drop below freezing.

Mr. Riza and Mr. Hadi expressed concern that unless measures are taken to address the long-
term welfare of residents, “more tragic incidents at Al Hol are inevitable.”

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2021. 04. 21. UNICEF urges repatriation of all children in Syria’s Al-Hol camp following deadly fire | | UN News

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Rights expert appeals to countries to return nationals from ...

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