Al Hol camp in Syria has an end-of-the-world feel. The bleak and barren landscape is packed with more than 40,000 children stranded in legal limbo while nations looking the other way.
There are no schools, no playgrounds, no toys – essentially no childhood to be had. I was shocked to see the empty hopelessness etched into the faces of children so young during my visit earlier this year. My own children, I thought to myself, would feel despondent here, too.
The children of Al Hol are among the more than 100,000 people who remain in camps in northern Syria; thousands more, mostly men but also women and children, are held in places of detention. Most are from Syria and Iraq, but a significant percentage hail from elsewhere – more than 60 countries on several continents. All of them are trapped in an unsustainable status quo that requires urgent international action.
One of the great tragedies of the Syrian conflict is that a whole generation of young people is growing up knowing nothing but war: the shells, the bullets, the blood and the pain. No matter what side of the front line they have found themselves, their pain is equal and their needs the same.
For the young people now growing up in camps like Al Hol, living conditions are appallingly harsh and far below international standards in terms of access to food, water, health care and education. The children are endlessly exposed to dangers and their rights often ignored. Many of them are alone in the camp, separated from family or orphaned.
It is difficult to imagine the effect such an environment has – especially on children who are spending their early years, which are so important for their development, there. Even more heart-wrenching is to imagine how many children have been born there and have not yet left the camp’s perimeter.
It is heart-wrenching how many children have been born in the camp and have not yet left its perimeter
There are many other children, some as young as 12, held in places of detention, separated from their family, often not knowing the fate of their parents or siblings. They are also victims and require care.
Young adults in their late teens and early 20s often are forgotten or neglected also. Many of them were children when the conflict began. They might have been in camps or in detention for some time; they might have become adults whilst there.
It is long overdue for nations to take decisions and act to find sustainable solutions for these young people. Countries must step up, take responsibility for their most defenceless citizens and make every effort to remove them from their current circumstances. Making them stateless is not a solution. Leaving them languishing in detention or in a camp cannot be an option.
Children need to be treated as children, and first and foremost as victims of circumstances beyond their control, regardless of what they or their parents were associated with. It is possible and necessary to balance security, accountability and humane action.
As governments make the necessary efforts to remove children from these unsafe and often unsanitary conditions, it is important to stress that repatriations must be carried out lawfully and with all of the right preparations, procedures and follow-ups in place.
Being brought home should not be a re-traumatising event for the child in any way, including being separated from mothers, their usual primary guardians and siblings. Keeping families together is not only what is usually in the child’s best interest, but also what international law requires, unless otherwise justified through rigorous assessment.
For those children in detention, alternative solutions need to be found based on an accurate assessment of their situation and with family unity as the norm. Their rights must be protected, including the one of not being arbitrarily detained.
The task is mammoth and complex, no doubt. But states do not have to do this alone.
International law provides a framework for countries to approach this issue and there is expertise and guidance available, including from the International Committee of the Red Cross. The Convention on the Rights of the Child is one of the world’s most widely ratified treaties, and yet it is not being applied as states cite their own security.
The ICRC, as a neutral, impartial and independent organisation with long-standing experience in this field, is ready to provide support to states, in line with its mandate and together with National Red Cross and Red Crescent societies.
In terms of concrete steps, it is critical to have a process to identify vulnerable groups in detention and in the camps, such as children and the elderly, as well as the sick, wounded and disabled.
Another key step is to clarify the status of those in detention in order to determine the legal basis on which they are being held. If no such basis exists – and this is particularly urgent for children – then they ought to be released, reunified with their families and either brought home or benefit from other non-detention arrangements.
It is true that it feels as though we are all operating in uncharted territory here. In such circumstances, we need to embrace our individual and collective responsibilities, the importance of abiding by international humanitarian law and, indeed, our common humanity. We all have a part to play and action needs to be taken now.
But perhaps the territory is not as uncharted as we all might feel.
Positive examples of repatriations do exist. There are states that have brought mothers and children home and are making efforts to provide follow-ups, including psycho-social support – sometimes with support from the ICRC and others.
States can learn from one another. Good practices of evolving individual follow-up mechanisms, mental health and psycho-social assistance, educational and livelihood support programmes should be shared. The support and advice from experienced NGOs and international organisations can also be utilised.
While solutions are needed for all children, the cases that the ICRC believes should prove easiest to manage initially are those from countries with well-functioning social, medical and administrative systems in place that can play a significant role in addressing the needs of these children when they go back.
The complexity of the challenges must not be used as an excuse not to act. States, parties to the conflict and international organisations must reflect on whether we are willing to deal with a difficult situation now or an impossible one later. That is what the world will be left with if the plight of these children, and that of their parents, is not dealt with humanely and responsibly.
The basic tenets of humanity are simply non-negotiable. We can never return the years of lost childhood that have been taken in Al Hol and other camps by conflict, violence, trauma and despair. We can, however, start planning today on how to give them a better future.
Fabrizio Carboni is the ICRC’s director for the Near and Middle East
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
The five pillars of Islam
More from Aya Iskandarani
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
INFO
What: DP World Tour Championship
When: November 21-24
Where: Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae.
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
DUBAI WORLD CUP RACE CARD
6.30pm Meydan Classic Trial US$100,000 (Turf) 1,400m
7.05pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,400m
7.40pm UAE 2000 Guineas Group Three $250,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
8.15pm Dubai Sprint Listed Handicap $175,000 (T) 1,200m
8.50pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 Group Two $450,000 (D) 1,900m
9.25pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,800m
10pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,400m
The National selections
6.30pm Well Of Wisdom
7.05pm Summrghand
7.40pm Laser Show
8.15pm Angel Alexander
8.50pm Benbatl
9.25pm Art Du Val
10pm: Beyond Reason
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
States of Passion by Nihad Sirees,
Pushkin Press
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHakbah%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2018%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENaif%20AbuSaida%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESaudi%20Arabia%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E22%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%24200%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Epre-Series%20A%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EGlobal%20Ventures%20and%20Aditum%20Investment%20Management%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
THE BIO
Age: 30
Favourite book: The Power of Habit
Favourite quote: "The world is full of good people, if you cannot find one, be one"
Favourite exercise: The snatch
Favourite colour: Blue
The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
Jewel of the Expo 2020
252 projectors installed on Al Wasl dome
13.6km of steel used in the structure that makes it equal in length to 16 Burj Khalifas
550 tonnes of moulded steel were raised last year to cap the dome
724,000 cubic metres is the space it encloses
Stands taller than the leaning tower of Pisa
Steel trellis dome is one of the largest single structures on site
The size of 16 tennis courts and weighs as much as 500 elephants
Al Wasl means connection in Arabic
World’s largest 360-degree projection surface
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Fasset%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2019%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mohammad%20Raafi%20Hossain%2C%20Daniel%20Ahmed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%242.45%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2086%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Pre-series%20B%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Investcorp%2C%20Liberty%20City%20Ventures%2C%20Fatima%20Gobi%20Ventures%2C%20Primal%20Capital%2C%20Wealthwell%20Ventures%2C%20FHS%20Capital%2C%20VN2%20Capital%2C%20local%20family%20offices%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
