Damascus, Syria – Syrian authorities announced Sunday the closure of al-Hol camp, the country’s largest camp, which for decades housed the families of ISIS fighters, after the evacuation of its last residents, according to camp director Fadi al-Qassem, who spoke to AFP. Al-Qassem explained that “the camp closed today after the transfer of all Syrian and non-Syrian families,” adding that the government has developed plans to reintegrate these families discreetly, away from the media spotlight.
Camp residents and their transfer
Al-Hol camp housed approximately 24,000 people, including some 15,000 Syrians and nearly 6,300 foreign women and children from 42 different nationalities, most of whose countries refused to repatriate them. In recent weeks, their numbers have decreased significantly after most of the foreigners left following the withdrawal of Kurdish forces in late January. Authorities transferred about 400 people to the Akhtarin camp in the Aleppo countryside as part of a phased plan to relocate the remaining residents.
Camp management after the closure
The Syrian security forces took control of the camp following an agreement with Kurdish forces that allows for the gradual integration of military and civilian administrations in Hasakah province. Al-Qassem emphasized that “the women and children of the camp need support for their integration,” adding that the government has begun implementing programs for their social and educational rehabilitation.
Cooperation of humanitarian organizations
A source within a humanitarian organization that had been working at the camp confirmed that their teams had been completely evacuated, and all equipment and temporary living quarters had been dismantled and removed from the camp. This closure comes weeks after a large number of foreigners were transferred to unknown locations, while the United States announced last week the transfer of more than 5,700 suspected ISIS detainees from Syria to Iraq as part of counterterrorism and rehabilitation efforts.
