Syrian government begins relocating families from al-Hawl Camp
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Syrian government authorities have started transferring dozens of families from al-Hawl Camp in the countryside of Hasakah to other locations inside Syria, local sources told North Press on Tuesday.
According to the sources, the relocation process began earlier in the day and involved Syrian families residing in the camp, which has long hosted displaced persons and relatives of suspected Islamic State (ISIS) members under security supervision in northeast Syria.
Recent weeks have witnessed a noticeable decline in the camp’s population, according to foreign media reports. Last week, the French news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP), citing humanitarian organizations and witnesses, reported that many foreign residents had departed the camp following developments related to security deployments in the area.
Fadi al-Qassem, the Syrian government official tasked with managing camp affairs, told AFP, “We conducted an assessment of the camp’s needs and found it lacks the basic requirements for habitation, so we decided on an emergency basis to transfer residents to prepared camps in Aleppo.”
He added, “Within a week, the camp will be completely evacuated and no one will remain,” noting that the evacuation process “started today,” according to the same agency.
Al-Hawl Camp, located east of Hasakah city, was established to accommodate families displaced during military operations against ISIS. Over the years, it has remained one of the most sensitive humanitarian and security files in northeast Syria, requiring ongoing coordination between local authorities and international organizations to maintain stability and prevent extremist activity.