On The 10th Anniversary Of The Syrian Crisis: Euro-Med Monitor Reviews IDPs' Conditions At HRC

Geneva – Displaced Syrians in camps in northern Syria and Iraq are living in difficult humanitarian conditions, especially during the harsh winter conditions and the unfair restrictions imposed by the camp administration, the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor and Geo Expertise said at the 46th session of United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) in jointed speech today.

According to recent reports, over a million displaced persons live in northern Syria near the Turkish border in 1,293 camps. Of which, 282 random camps have been established on agricultural lands that do not receive any UN humanitarian aid, the speech said.

Delivered by Euro-Med Monitor’s advisor Anne Jellema, the speech indicated that since the region was affected by snowstorms in the winter, the suffering of the displaced persons, who already suffer a great shortage of basic needs and services, has exacerbated.

In north-eastern Syria, about 64,000 displaced persons of 57 different nationalities are being held in the Al-Hawl and Roj camps, most of them are women and children, based on unclear grounds and in horrific conditions.

Last month, a UN panel of experts called on the 57 countries to repatriate 31,000 children living in these two camps without delay and spare them the miserable conditions they face.
The two organizations highlighted the situation of Syrian refugees in northern Iraq, as several camps, including Bardarash camp, inhabited by about 12,000 Syrian refugees, are still unable to return to their homes due to the continued armed conflicts and insecurities.

Euro-Med Monitor and Geo-Expertise stressed the need for states to respond to the UN experts’ call to repatriate their citizens detained in camps in northeastern Syria, as they are still vulnerable to violence, exploitation, abuse and deprivation, and subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment.

The two organizations called on HRC and member states to increase and intensify relief operations to meet the growing humanitarian needs of the Syrians displaced in camps.

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