Al-Hol residents attack NGO teams amidst ongoing security campaign: UN
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in a report on Sunday said that al-Hol residents have been attacking teams working for non-governmental organizations, specifically the sewage and waste management team, amidst a security campaign in the camp against ISIS cells.
The report said that “some population groups who have perceived that NGO partners are linked to the ongoing security operation.”
As a result, although sewage and solid waste management activities have been permitted by the local camp authorities, they are disrupted by retaliatory attacks from camp residents.
Moreover, the report said that due to safety concerns emanating from the attacks perpetrated by the residents, the bread distribution team has not been able to access certain areas on some days to date.
The report said that all humanitarian activities have been suspended except for some elements of life-saving activities, “including bread distribution, water provision, solid waste management and health services.”
On Jan. 27, a new security campaign was launched by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and its affiliated Internal Security Forces in the al-Hol refugee camp, the third operation since 2022.
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As an initial outcome of operations over seven days, the SDF said 37 ISIS suspects have been captured, numerous mines and weapons have been seized and a large number of tunnels used to conceal terrorists and weapons have been demolished.
Moreover, one Yezidi woman was found in the camp.
The OCHA report further said that the camp’s food distribution was scheduled to be conducted and this has delayed the security operation, suggesting that the camp’s local market has reportedly run out of supplies.
“The camp management has requested the camp administration to permit the resumption of kerosene distribution in the Annex after the campaign ends. Discussions with security are reportedly underway,” OCHA said.
The report continued, adding that “security campaigns must clearly indicate that they have no link to humanitarian actors’ activities” and must ensure that “civilians and civilian objects are protected during security campaigns and at all times.”
According to UN data, the camp currently hosts more than 43,000 people, including thousands of ISIS families of different nationalities, the majority of which are Iraqis and Syrians. After the territorial defeat of ISIS in 2019, the camp’s population ballooned to over 70,000 people, including many women and children, who are under the threat of radicalization by the terror group.
Editing by Dastan Muwaffaq