DAMASCUS, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- About 20,000 children in displacement camps and "rehabilitation facilities" in northeastern Syria face heightened risks as security deteriorates amid renewed fighting, Save the Children warned Thursday.
The group said clashes between the Syrian interim government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have sharply restricted humanitarian access and created chaos around major camps such as Al-Hol and Roj. The sites house roughly 30,000 people, mostly women and children, including about 8,500 foreign nationals displaced after the collapse of the Islamic State in Baghouz in March 2019.
Save the Children has suspended most non-life-saving child-focused services, citing limited ability to monitor the safety and well-being of children. Rasha Muhrez, the group's Syria country director, warned that delays in establishing protection measures increase the risk of children being harmed, exploited, or coerced by armed actors.
She stressed that children should not be punished for perceived family affiliations and need independent protection and oversight.
The International Committee of the Red Cross also warned Wednesday of a deepening humanitarian crisis, noting that hostilities have forced families to flee in harsh winter conditions, damaged critical civilian infrastructure, including water stations, dams, and electricity networks, and threatened detention centers and displacement camps.
Both organizations called for urgent action to protect civilians, especially children, ensure humanitarian access, uphold international humanitarian and human rights obligations, and accelerate repatriation and durable solutions for displaced families. ■
