The cholera epidemic was detected in the camp in early October and then confirmed by laboratory tests. Because Al Hol does not have a specialized treatment center for acute aqueous diarrhea, it is crucial that, as many people insist as quickly as possible, the United Nations Fund for Children, Unicef, insists.
“”For the first time, we received the cholera vaccine from northwest Syria in the northeast to vaccinate people from Al Hol campeven [despite] Climbing and security situation in the country, but we have managed to access people and get them with the vaccine, “the UNICEF Khourchid health and nutrition agent said PK Press Club.
Mr. Hasan Credited the Caretaker Authority in Damascus With Making the Shipment Possible, Along with the Local Authorities in Syria’s Northeast, who Facilitated Delivery of the Vaccines to the Gates of Al Hol, Which is controlled by the Kurdish-Backed Syrian Democratic Forces ( ).
“Back to normal” conditions
And despite the threats published on social networks last December “that there will be an attack on this camp and [that ISIL planned on] Leaving their families ”who closed access to Al Hol for three days, Mr. Hasan insisted that the deployment of the vaccine does not stop.
“Everything is back to normal,” he said, adding that at least 14,000 people have received vaccination on cholera so far: “The campaign is underway even during the holidays of the season And vaccination teams are doing a great job there to give this rescue because treatment for children and their caregivers. »»
Teams of vaccinators work while walking on foot through the camp’s tent shelters with a Grandhailer urging families to bring themselves and their children to receive their dose. Once delivered, the vaccine protects against cholera, which can be fatal in a few hours if it is not treated properly.
Mr. Hasan stressed that the campaign was able to move forward after the agency managed to transport 25,000 doses of northwest Syria vaccine through the old active battle lines. He also praised the awareness work of colleagues and partners in the communication of social behavior of UNICEF and the risks, who engaged in community networks in support of the vaccine campaign against oral cholera and favored Confidence in the population of Al Hol.
For years, Al Hol housed the wives and children of ISIL fighters, displaced people and refugees taken in the Syrian war, which broke out after the deadly government of peaceful demonstrators in 2011.
The conditions remain disastrous
The majority of people held there by Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) supported by Kurds are Syrian and Iraqi nationals. Conditions are disastrous and have been the subject of numerous alerts by experts in the rights of the main surveys to the Human Rights Council.
The foreign nationals who have surrendered or were forced to go to Syria to join the Eiil fighters and their children are detained in an annex to the camp, which is divided into five areas. In December, the population of the colony of tents was nearly 40,000 people.
Al Hol is actually two different camps: Al Hol, which is close to the Iraqi border, and the Roj camp, located on the border with Turkïye; They are both in the governorate of Al-Hasakeh. Eiil male fighters are detained in a prison in Al-Hasakeh City at around 45 kilometers.
The cholera was detected for the first time in Syria in 2022, but the camp escaped the infection. “We vaccinated immediately (in 2022) as a precautionary measure, but this time, it appeared and started in the Al Hol camp,” said Hasan de l’Inicef, quoting financing gaps, a Bad nutrition, dirty water and poor sanitation as contributory factors in the current epidemic.
On -site agencies
Several United Nations agencies have a presence in Al Hol in addition to the United Nations Fund for children, including the United Nations Sexual and Reproductive Agency, the UNFPA, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the NES NOG Network forum operating in northeast Syria.
“Those [NGOs] are supported by local authorities, but the need is still very high, in particular for secondary health care, “said Hasan.
“There are three fields in the field in Al Hol Camp and a field hospital in the Roj camp, but there is always a huge need for drugs for non -transmitted diseases, for secondary health care. And now, due to the security situation, it is a great challenge to refer people from these camps outside the camp to go to private hospitals, for example, Al-Hasakeh or Qamishli. »»
