The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has confirmed it has assumed management responsibilities for the al-Hol camp in northeastern Syria. This transition follows the withdrawal of Kurdish-led forces, who previously oversaw the camp housing approximately 20,000 individuals with alleged links to the Islamic State (IS). The shift in control has occurred amidst broader regional security changes, including an advance by Syrian government forces and United States efforts to transfer high-risk detainees.
Camp Management Transition and Security Concerns
The UN's decision to take over management of al-Hol camp, which accommodates a significant population with alleged ties to IS, was announced following the withdrawal of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The SDF stated their withdrawal was compelled by a perceived "international indifference toward the issue of [IS]" and the need to redeploy their forces to other northern Syrian cities. This withdrawal also occurred in response to an advance by Syrian government forces.
The Syrian interior ministry issued a statement noting that the SDF's withdrawal took place without coordination with either the Syrian government or the US-led coalition against IS. The SDF's departure from the camp followed an incident where suspected IS fighters escaped from Shaddadi prison, which occurred during ongoing clashes between Syrian government forces and the SDF.
The shift in management led to unrest within al-Hol camp, with reports of residents attempting to breach perimeters, disturbances, and looting. These incidents prompted aid agencies to suspend their operations.
UN Engagement and Regional Developments
During a briefing to the UN Security Council, UN official Edem Wosornu confirmed that the UNHCR had taken over "camp management responsibilities" at al-Hol. The UNHCR is currently working with Syrian authorities to restore humanitarian access to the camp. Syrian forces have established a security perimeter around the facility. However, UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric cautioned that conditions inside the camp remain "tense and volatile," and humanitarian operations are still suspended due to the prior violence.
The changes at al-Hol camp coincide with a broader regional reconfiguration, with a ceasefire agreement placing much of Syria's northeast under the control of Damascus, effectively ending years of autonomous Kurdish rule.
Separately, the United States has initiated efforts to transfer high-risk detainees from the region. US Central Command reported that it had begun moving up to 7,000 suspected IS fighters from prisons in northeast Syria to Iraq, with 150 detainees already transferred to a "secure location" across the border.