Syria: doctors condemn ‘catastrophic’ conditions in Al-Hawl refugee camp

The humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders has denounced the “catastrophic” conditions in the notorious Al-Hawl refugee camp in north-east Syria.

In a lengthy report published on Monday, the organisation criticised the lack of protection from violence and general lawlessness, as well as the humanitarian situation faced by tens of thousands of former Daesh supporters and their families in the camp.

“We are between two fires: the security forces and the extremists,” one refugee is quoted as saying. “It is a kind of prison. There is no freedom here.”

According to the UN, more than 50,000 people live in the camp, most of them women and children, including foreign nationals. Many fear that security and living conditions will continue to deteriorate, and that they may be stuck in Al-Hawl forever.

In its report, Doctors Without Borders warned of the increasing influence of extremist groups inside the camp, and criticised the mismanagement by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. Supported by the US, the group is responsible for the camp.

The report also noted that parents and caregivers have expressed deep concern about their children’s safety and psychosocial development.

Based on accounts from patients, residents of Al-Hawl camp and testimonies of their staff, the organisation said that people inside the camp lacked a means to earn a living  and are “still held in prison-like conditions, with severely limited access to basic services.”

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