‘Someone’s listening’: Fear and longing in Syria’s al-Hol detention camp : Nils Adler / Al Jazeera

Children, who account for more than half the camp's population, are not safe and are missing out on a chance for a normal life.

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Summary

Al-Hol camp, home to around 40,000 people, is overcrowded and lacking basic services. It houses women and children displaced by ISIL (ISIS), along with families of fighters, and its residents live in extreme conditions. The camp is plagued by poverty, violence, and a lack of proper education. Asma, a 26-year-old mother of four, reflects on the challenges of raising her children in such an environment. Many people in the camp, like Abed, a father who works as a welder, express a deep sense of loss about their children's future due to years without schooling. Despite the hardships, both Asma and Abed hope for a return to their home countries, though they fear dangers such as potential arrest upon repatriation.

The situation in the camp is further complicated by the suspension of US aid, which has led to a lack of essential services, including food, water, and medical care. Aid cuts could jeopardize security and lead to a resurgence of ISIL's influence within the camp. The annex, a heavily guarded sector housing foreigners with strong ISIL ties, remains an especially volatile area, and some families are ideologically committed to the group's values, complicating efforts for rehabilitation.