Tanzania repatriates a woman and three children from the horrid detention camps of Syria

With the assistance from the United States government, Tanzania has reportedly managed to repatriate one woman and three children from the Roj displaced persons camp in northeast Syria.

Tanzania had recently repatriated the three fugitives from Syria.

Approximately 14,500 individuals from more than 70 countries outside Syria remain in the al-Hol and Roj camps, most of whom are children under the age of 12.

Roj is a formal internally displaced person (IDP) camp in Al-Hasakeh governorate.

According to the US Department of State, the only durable solution to the humanitarian and security crisis in these displaced persons camps in northeast Syria is for countries of origin to repatriate, rehabilitate, reintegrate, and where appropriate, ensure accountability for their nationals.

The US Department added that repatriation will also reduce the risk of the Islamic State of Iraq (ISIS) resurgence in the region and help ensure a stable future for Syria.

“The United States thanks Tanzania for working with us to repatriate its nationals, and thanks our local partners, the Syrian Democratic Forces, for their assistance facilitating this repatriation and their commitment to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS,” the US Department of State said.

The al-Hol and Roj camps, administered by the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), the civilian wing of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), house approximately 42,500 people, primarily the wives, other adult female relatives, and children of male ISIS suspects.

Human Rights Watch say about 18,000 are foreigners, including women and children from more than 70 countries.

The detainees have been held arbitrarily in inhuman, degrading, and life-threatening conditions for six years, since they were rounded up during the fall of the Islamic State “caliphate.”

It was earlier reported that all governments should urgently repatriate their nationals arbitrarily detained in northeast Syria.

Meanwhile pending repatriation, all parties to the conflict as well as Syria’s caretaker government should cooperate to ensure the security of camps and prisons housing Islamic State (ISIS) suspects and their families and take urgent steps to improve the dire conditions.