More than 500 Syrians have been released from the overcrowded al-Hol detention camp in northeastern Syria. The local Kurdish authorities announced today that these include alleged relatives of members of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist militia. A reporter from the AFP news agency observed the departure of dozen women who hauled their belongings to trucks.
The Al-Hol camp is home to more than 60,000 people, including 24,300 Syrians who have either been captured or displaced by the ongoing conflict in the region. Iraqis make up the majority of the foreigners in al-Hol. Dwindling resources made it difficult for the Kurdish administration to run the camp.
According to aid organizations, many of the inmates live under devastating conditions, including a lack of water. The pandemic made the situation even more difficult in recent months.
