UN urges countries to repatriate children from Syria, says 27,000 ‘remain stranded, abandoned to their fate’

Representational picture. AP

United Nations: The UN counterterrorism chief is urging international locations to repatriate the 27,000 youngsters stranded in an enormous camp in northeastern Syria, lots of them little children of Islamic State extremists who as soon as managed giant swathes of Iraq and Syria.

Vladimir Voronkov informed an off-the-cuff assembly of the UN Safety Council on Friday that “the horrific state of affairs of the kids in Al Hol (camp) is among the most urgent points on the earth immediately.”

The 27,000 youngsters “stay stranded, deserted to their destiny,” susceptible to be preyed on by Islamic State enforcers, “and susceptible to radicalisation inside the camp,” he mentioned.

Al Hol, the most important camp for refugees and displaced Syrians within the nation, is presently residence to virtually 62,000 residents, in line with UN humanitarian officers. Greater than 80 p.c are ladies and youngsters, lots of whom fled there after Islamic State militants misplaced their final Syrian stronghold in 2019. There are a variety of different camps within the northeast as nicely.

Voronkov mentioned there are kids from 60 international locations within the camps who’re the accountability of their member states, not of Syria or the teams that management the camps. Kurdish fighters are guarding Al-Hol and different camps in addition to hundreds of Islamic State fighters and boys in prisons.

He mentioned quite a few international locations — together with Russia and Kazakhstan that convened the digital assembly — “have collectively repatriated practically 1,000 youngsters and their relations.”

Voronkov mentioned the experiences of the returnees are being compiled “and what we see to date is that fears of safety dangers have been unfounded”.

The manager director of the UN Counterterrorism Centre careworn that youngsters “have to be handled primarily as victims” and kids beneath the age of 14 shouldn’t be detained or prosecuted.

Historical past has proven that youngsters are resilient and might recuperate from violent experiences if they’re supported in reintegrating into communities, Voronkov mentioned.

“Each effort must be made to make sure youngsters should not saved in establishments however allowed to reintegrate with relations inside their communities,” he mentioned.

Virginia Gamba, the UN particular consultant for kids and armed battle, informed the Safety Council that youngsters catalogued as being related to armed teams together with the Islamic State and al-Qaida “are the kids who’ve been left adrift by battle, like flotsam within the sea”.

She echoed Voronkov’s name that they be handled “primarily as victims, not as safety threats and that detention be used as a measure of final resort and for the shortest potential interval”.

The psychological well being, security, and total growth of overseas youngsters held for a very long time “in dramatic circumstances” in camps in northeast Syria and Iraq “are at stake”, Gamba mentioned.

“They’re uncovered to additional trauma and stigmatization and are in danger due to their proximity to members of designated terrorist teams,” she mentioned.

Kids have a proper to a nationality and id and should not stay stateless, Gamba careworn.

Gamba mentioned the repatriation of overseas youngsters must be prioritised “with the most effective curiosity of the kid,” and so they have to be assisted in reintegrating and getting an training, well being care, and jobs.

“They have to be given their childhood again in a secure surroundings the place they’ll construct a future away from violence,” Gamba mentioned. “They deserve an opportunity at life, like every other youngster.”