The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced the defeat of ISIS in Baghouz on March 23 following months of fierce fighting – frequently halted to allow civilians to escape the besieged town.
The mass exodus from the so-called ‘caliphate’ swelled the population of Al-Hol camp from 35,000 in February to more than 73,000. Many of them are the wives and children of ISIS militants. A significant number are from European and other western states, which have refused to take back their citizens.
Responding to the humanitarian emergency unfolding in Al-Hol, the Syria Humanitarian Fund (SHF) – backed by Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Luxembourg, Canada, Spain, Switzerland, Jersey, Iceland, Qatar, and the UK – announced Monday it was donating $4.3 million to aid agencies operating in the camp.
Roughly 19,000 people are currently sheltering in large tents due to a shortage of infrastructure, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Monday.
“These funds will bring immediate relief to the tens of thousands being hosted inside Al-Hol camp, particularly women and children who make up 90 percent of the camp population,” humanitarian coordinator Corinne Fleischer said.
“Many of the most recent IDPs have arrived in extremely poor health, displaying clear signs of distress, fatigue, traumatic injuries as well as malnutrition, which pose a direct threat to survival without a rapid response.”
“While hostilities in Baghouz appear to have ended, the crisis is far from over; we still don’t know whether more people will arrive.”
Poor weather conditions are adding to their misery.
“Feeding, housing, and providing essential services, including specialized protection assistance to a population this size, and for an indefinite period, requires considerable resources and a redoubling of efforts by all,” Fleischer added.
With basic infrastructure reduced to rubble and the ground littered with explosive remnants of war, former residents of Baghouz and Hajin could spend months or even years in Al-Hol before they can return home.
“High-levels of explosive contamination are currently preventing safe return to these areas, while many women and children face a disconcerting and uncertain future ahead of them,” Fleischer said.
“We urgently appeal to member states to make more funds available to support the response in Al-Hol, while also seeking durable solutions, including for their citizens.”
“Without continued support, many women and children inside the camp, some of whom have already been exposed to extreme violence and deprivation after years of living under (ISIS) rule, will be exposed to unnecessary further suffering,” she added.
A major fear for aid agencies is the spread of chronic diarrhea in the squalid camp among already malnourished children, which can prove fatal.
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