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About half of those who live in al-Hol are children. Suspected IS supporters are being detained in the field, both from Syria and Iraq and the rest of the world.
Sedan coronapandemin drog Initially, access to medical care for residents has declined dramatically, according to Will Turner, emergency manager for Doctors Without Borders work in Syria. In May, there were 24 care clinics in the camp, now there are only five. One of the facilities that is closed is the emergency room.
– A few weeks ago, a mother was walking through the camp, her children had difficulty breathing and were suffocating. She called clinic after clinic, but they had all closed. She finally found our feeding center, where we feed malnourished children, but then unfortunately it was too late, her children had died. The story is an example of the enormous despair that exists in al-Hol, says Will Turner.
Lack of access sanitation and the possibility of social distancing also make the risk of a rapid spread of the new coronavirus imminent. So far, only one case of covid-19 has been confirmed in the camp. In the Kurdish-controlled area in northeastern Syria, more than 500 cases have been confirmed. But there are strong indications that the number is significantly higher, according to Will Turner. Of the tests carried out in the region, half have been positive. Several of the paramedics who are on the scene in the area have fallen ill.
– A third of those who have been confirmed sick are nurses, who must then isolate themselves. When there are not enough staff before, the situation becomes even more tense. Due to the pandemic, many NGOs have withdrawn from the area because they do not have enough staff and resources, says Will Turner.
Syria is hard hit by nine years of devastating war. Public health care is more or less non-existent and care is provided mainly by independent organizations and a number of private clinics, explains Will Turner.
– More importantly, life-saving services such as vaccination, maternity care, and medicine and treatment of chronic diseases are greatly affected, he says.
There is not limit how long can MSF work under difficult conditions, according to Will Turner. On the other hand, their activities are severely limited by the conditions in which they now work. A prerequisite for them to provide care is that they have access to equipment to protect staff.
Many of those at the camp are young, which can reduce the risk of many becoming seriously ill from COVID-19. At the same time, some 2,000 people belong to a risk group, according to MSF assessments.
More is needed resources and international attention in northeastern Syria, says Will Turner. It especially highlights the responsibility of the international community towards foreign prisoners detained in al-Hol. There are about 10,000 people in the part of the camp called annex, which is for those who are not from Iraq or Syria. About two-thirds of these are children.
– There are people from all over the world here and governments have a responsibility to take care of them and ensure that human rights are guaranteed. These rights are seriously threatened today, especially considering that many of those who are there are children, says Will Turner and continues:
– We call on governments and the international community to find a long-term solution for these people and protect children and their rights.
An estimated 70,000 refugees are in al-Hol camp in northwestern Syria. About half of them are children. The discussion about who should care for the refugees in al-Hol has been going on since the fall of the IS caliphate about a year ago.
