By Dilsoz Youssef
HASAKAH, Syria (North Press) – In the sweltering summer heat, Mohammed Ali sits with his child at the Kurdish Red Crescent medical point in Washokani camp in the west of Hasakah, northeastern Syria, waiting for treatment. His son suffers from a high fever.
“When the electricity goes out, life inside the tents becomes unbearable,” said Ali, 53, wiping the sweat from his forehead. “The heat turns our tents into ovens, and children are the first to suffer.”
The camp, which shelters thousands of displaced people from Ras al-Ain (Sere Kaniye), is enduring one of the hottest summers on record, with temperatures reaching 50°C. Residents say soaring heat, electricity outages, poor sanitation, and unsafe water are fueling the spread of disease.
Scattered waste and contaminated water have raised concerns about cholera and other illnesses. “We don’t know what’s causing the diseases anymore—dirty water, uncovered food, or the unbearable heat,” said Aisha al-Hussein, as she waited to register her feverish child at the camp’s clinic.
The Kurdish Red Crescent’s medical point, the camp’s only healthcare provider, operates several sections including pediatrics, women’s health, emergency care, and health education.
According to administrator Majed Abdel Qader, the center receives around 400 patients each month, including daily cases of diarrhea, viral infections, and skin allergies. “The extreme heat this year has doubled the number of patients,” he said.
Despite ongoing medical efforts, the fragile infrastructure of the camp continues to aggravate the health crisis. Displaced families say they can only wait for political solutions that may one day allow their return home.
Washokani Camp, which shelters 2,377 displaced families comprising a total of 16,876 individuals, was established by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) following the occupation of Ras al-Ain (Sere Kaniye) by Turkish forces and its affiliated armed opposition factions, aka the Syrian National Army (SNA), in late October 2019 under an operation dubbed “Peace Spring”.
“We fear for our children’s lives,” said Khadija Suleiman, another mother in line at the clinic. “Most illnesses affect children—diarrhea, dehydration, even meningitis. We live as if inside fire, waiting for electricity to come, hoping for clean water and better conditions.”