US encourages counties to repatriate nationals from NE Syria
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The US Department of State said on Monday repatriating nationals of European countries from camps in northeast Syria is “critical” to prevent the return of Islamic State Organization (ISIS).
This came in a press briefing by Ned Price, Department Spokesman, who stressed the US continues “to encourage all countries” to work with it to reach “durable” solutions and to alleviate the worsening crisis.
Price added, “Repatriation is the only durable solution to the humanitarian and security situation and displaced persons camp – camps in northeast Syria”.
The Department Spokesman noted, “A U.S. interagency delegation, including State Department officials, visited al-Hol [Hawl] to discuss repatriations assistance and security needs in northeast Syria with local authorities and partners on the ground.”
A media source from the US-led Global Coalition revealed to North Press that the delegation included seven officials and staffs of both the US State Department and Pentagon.
Hawl Camp, 45 km east of the city of Hasakah, is a house for 55.829 individuals, including 28.725 Iraqis, 18.850 Syrians and 8.254 of foreign nationalities, according to the latest statistics obtained by North Press.
Initially, the camp was established by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) IN 1991 to accommodate Iraqi Refugees in the aftermath of the Gulf war.
Following the capture of the last territorial pocket of the Islamic State Organization (ISIS) by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Baghouz in 2019, the camp became overcrowded by Syrian IDPs, Iraqi refugees and ISIS families mostly of foreign fighters.