By Zana al-Ali
RAQQA, Syria (North Press) – Families fleeing the conflict in Lebanon have been forced to live in scattered, unsupported camps for over a year. Struggling to secure basic necessities, they face an uncertain future as their conditions worsen.
The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has driven many Syrians to flee, with hundreds of displaced families now residing in Al-Adnaniyah Camp, located northwest of Raqqa, Syria. Here, basic necessities are sparse, and promises of international aid remain unfulfilled.
The camp, established in northwestern Raqqa, was set up to accommodate Syrian families returning from Lebanon. However, it remains without any significant support.
The Autonomous Administration in North and East Syria (AANES) designated the camp as a shelter for Syrian families fleeing the war in Lebanon.
Random Tents and Unauthorized Rooms
Sana al-Hamoud lives in the camp with her four daughters, the eldest being seven years old, after her husband was forced to leave them while attempting to return to Syria via smuggling routes. He is wanted for mandatory military service by government forces.
Upon their arrival in Raqqa, Sana’s husband traveled to Turkey due to the lack of job opportunities in the region.
The al-Adnanya Camp is located next to the main irrigation canal on the al-Adnanya farm, about 30 kilometers northwest of Raqqa. It was established by the Raqqa Civil Council a year and a half ago with the goal of integrating random camps in the area.
However, despite the establishment of the camp and the entry of around 200 families, it lacks support from NGOs and does not have a protective wall.
Tents are set up haphazardly in the al-Adnanya Camp, with some families constructing unauthorized mud rooms within the camp.
In Raqqa, random camps are scattered along the roads, with most residents being displaced persons from areas under Syrian government control, living on both private and public properties.
No Tent or Aid
Al-Hamoud stated, “We returned from Lebanon via smuggling routes because my husband is wanted for mandatory military service, and the money we earned was paid to the smugglers. We left with nothing but our clothes.”
She added to North Press that she arrived at the al-Adnanya Camp over a month ago and has yet to receive any form of aid—neither a tent nor food supplies.
Meanwhile, Warda al-Mahmoud, displaced from the Ra’safa area in the Raqqa countryside, which is under Syrian government control, said they have lived in the al-Adnanya Camp for nearly a year without access to clean drinking water. They drink from the irrigation canal, which is not purified.
She told North Press that she has nine children, all of whom work as daily laborers, but they cannot keep up with their expenses because work is inconsistent.
She continued, “Just days ago, when it rained, the children were left in the rain as water seeped into their tents.”
Promises without support
Displaced person Abd al-Razak al-Dali said that a year ago, they were relocated by the Raqqa Civil Council from the Tel al-Bay’ah Camp, located five kilometers east of Raqqa, with the promise of support and the integration of random camps.
Al-Dali added to North Press that they moved to the al-Adnanya Camp based on these promises, but so far, they have not received any assistance from the administration or humanitarian organizations.
He pointed out that they had received support while in the Tel al-Bay’ah Camp, including access to purified water and food supplies.
He stated that the children are now deprived of education; there are no schools in the camp, and they remain there based on promises of future support.
He explained that the journey from the al-Adnanya Camp to a doctor in Raqqa costs 100,000 Syrian pounds, adding that the camp’s distance from the city, combined with its poor conditions, makes it an untenable place to live.
He also noted that some organizations have psychological support projects for children but emphasized that the camp urgently needs access to food, a school and sanitation facilities.