Thousands of children stuck in legal and political limbo with their families in the notorious Al Hol displacement camp in north-eastern Syria face an uncertain future of appalling living conditions and statelessness, the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross warned.
The children — about 22,000 — are being deprived of a normal childhood while humanitarian efforts are focused on the bare essentials of life rather than providing them with a stable and healthy environment, ICRC president Peter Maurer told The National after his latest visit this month to the Syrian camp housing thousands of families of ISIS fighters and those swept up in the fighting since the fall of the group.
“This is an environment in which they shouldn’t be growing up. We are trying our best with other humanitarian organisations and the Kurdish local authorities to prevent the worst. But when you can only work to prevent the worst in any environment, that is a situation that is becoming increasingly difficult,” Mr Maurer said.
The ICRC is running the main health facility in the camp, alongside the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, where primary healthcare services are being provided to the residents.
North-eastern Syria is controlled by the US-backed and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. The region continues to host nearly 87,000 people who fled areas affected by hostilities, in addition to long-term refugees from Iraq, and stranded women and children from more than 60 countries in camps like Al Hol, according to figures provided by the ICRC.
The camp is overcrowded, with its population of about 56,000, mostly women and children, living in miserable conditions.
They have been stranded there since 2019 after the defeat of ISIS in Syria on the grounds they are, or are suspected to be, relatives of ISIS extremists.
About 10,000 of Al Hol's population are non-Arab foreigners and the rest are mostly from Syria and Iraq.
Child protection crisis
Mr Maurer, who has been ICRC president since 2012, said Al Hol camp is one of the biggest child protection crises in the world today.
Many countries have refused to repatriate children whose parents are suspected to have collaborated with or fought for ISIS.
Some of the children were born in Syria, while others travelled there with their parents.
A number of countries, such as France and Russia, allowed some women and children to return. Others do not want to let nationals associated with or sympathetic to extremists back in.
Mr Maurer said the international community's refusal to tackle a problem created by political differences is unacceptable.
He says many children are effectively detained in Al Hol.
“Children stranded or detained are first and foremost victims. They are victims, no matter what they or their parents might have done or stand accused of. The world cannot continue to look away while children draw their first and last breaths in camps or grow up stateless and in limbo,” he said.
This month, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said his country was determined to repatriate all the families in the Syrian camp after security checks were completed.
But he also urged the international community to help Iraq to set up reintegration programmes for those who are being vetted.
Languishing in statelessness
Mr Maurer said the children of Al Hol are without the civil documentation needed to prevent statelessness.
“Well, first and foremost, let me just say that nobody should be stateless. This is unhelpful and unlawful in terms of international humanitarian law,” he said.
“We can recognise that states have other considerations which they have to take. But I do make an important point that keeping the situation in a hole, as it is, and believing that this will eventually solve the problem is not what we consider a positive approach.”
He said he was particularly concerned about the mental health of the children despite the help of a psycho-social programme run by the Red Cross.
The Geneva-based international organisation initiated Mental Health Psycho-Social Support services in 2020.
The activities are adapted to address the needs of children living in Al Hol, with the aim of improving and strengthening their self-esteem and self-confidence.
“I have been impressed, very frankly, also to meet some of the kids who show really extraordinary results with these programmes. But, of course, it doesn't solve the problem at the origin,” said Mr Maurer.
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is leading an effort in the camp to show children immersed in an extremist ideology that there are other ways. But there are some mothers who still endorse extremist ideas.
Over the past two years, the UN and local rights activists have reported dozens of killings of camp residents by ISIS sympathisers or sleeper cells because victims were not toeing the extremist line.
Most of the victims were Iraqis and Syrians.
As the situation goes from bad to worse, Mr Maurer said humanitarian workers at Al Hol are simply trying to prevent the worst.
“This is an unsustainable situation as these people live in miserable conditions in a camp where there is no due process of law,” he said.
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Fines for littering
In Dubai:
Dh200 for littering or spitting in the Dubai Metro
Dh500 for throwing cigarette butts or chewing gum on the floor, or littering from a vehicle.
Dh1,000 for littering on a beach, spitting in public places, throwing a cigarette butt from a vehicle
In Sharjah and other emirates
Dh500 for littering - including cigarette butts and chewing gum - in public places and beaches in Sharjah
Dh2,000 for littering in Sharjah deserts
Dh500 for littering from a vehicle in Ras Al Khaimah
Dh1,000 for littering from a car in Abu Dhabi
Dh1,000 to Dh100,000 for dumping waste in residential or public areas in Al Ain
Dh10,000 for littering at Ajman's beaches
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Results
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The biog
Siblings: five brothers and one sister
Education: Bachelors in Political Science at the University of Minnesota
Interests: Swimming, tennis and the gym
Favourite place: UAE
Favourite packet food on the trip: pasta primavera
What he did to pass the time during the trip: listen to audio books
Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff
By Sean Penn
Simon & Schuster
Day 3, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Lahiru Gamage, the Sri Lanka pace bowler, has had to play a lot of cricket to earn a shot at the top level. The 29-year-old debutant first played a first-class game 11 years ago. His first Test wicket was one to savour, bowling Pakistan opener Shan Masood through the gate. It set the rot in motion for Pakistan’s batting.
Stat of the day – 73 Haris Sohail took 73 balls to hit a boundary. Which is a peculiar quirk, given the aggressive intent he showed from the off. Pakistan’s batsmen were implored to attack Rangana Herath after their implosion against his left-arm spin in Abu Dhabi. Haris did his best to oblige, smacking the second ball he faced for a huge straight six.
The verdict One year ago, when Pakistan played their first day-night Test at this ground, they held a 222-run lead over West Indies on first innings. The away side still pushed their hosts relatively close on the final night. With the opposite almost exactly the case this time around, Pakistan still have to hope they can salvage a win from somewhere.
The five types of long-term residential visas
Obed Suhail of ServiceMarket, an online home services marketplace, outlines the five types of long-term residential visas:
Investors:
A 10-year residency visa can be obtained by investors who invest Dh10 million, out of which 60 per cent should not be in real estate. It can be a public investment through a deposit or in a business. Those who invest Dh5 million or more in property are eligible for a five-year residency visa. The invested amount should be completely owned by the investors, not loaned, and retained for at least three years.
Entrepreneurs:
A five-year multiple entry visa is available to entrepreneurs with a previous project worth Dh0.5m or those with the approval of an accredited business incubator in the UAE.
Specialists
Expats with specialised talents, including doctors, specialists, scientists, inventors, and creative individuals working in the field of culture and art are eligible for a 10-year visa, given that they have a valid employment contract in one of these fields in the country.
Outstanding students:
A five-year visa will be granted to outstanding students who have a grade of 95 per cent or higher in a secondary school, or those who graduate with a GPA of 3.75 from a university.
Retirees:
Expats who are at least 55 years old can obtain a five-year retirement visa if they invest Dh2m in property, have savings of Dh1m or more, or have a monthly income of at least Dh20,000.
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
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The specs: 2019 Haval H6
Price, base: Dh69,900
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
Get Out
Director: Jordan Peele
Stars: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Catherine Keener, Bradley Whitford
Four stars