In January 2022, Russia massed its forces in Ukraine while the world speculated whether it could really attack. Meanwhile, a jihadist organization in northern Syria drove a car loaded with explosives into the walls of Hasaka prison and stormed in with at least a hundred fighters. The purpose was to free ISIS members, including leaders of the jihadist movement, with thousands of them in prison. The battle eventually lasted for ten days, resulting in more than 500 people killed.
The Syrian Kurdish forces gained control of the situation, but this uprising in Hasaka prison describes the ongoing situation in Syria and Iraq. ISIS is nowhere near defeated, as thousands of ISIS jihadists are still in prisons in northeastern Syria, according to the Washington Institute. The Kurdish authorities hold approximately 56,000 people, with 30,000 being children and the largest camp being Al-Holi.
Maintained by the Syrian Kurdish SDF, the camp lives largely in anarchy with a strong position of ISIS and scarce resources like food and clean water. Diseases spread easily, and there are allegations of torture and abuse within the camp. In December 2021, there were over 46,000 people in the Al-Holi camp, with 94% being women and children, some of whom had played active roles in ISIS jihadism.
Repatriation efforts are slow due to difficulties adapting newcomers to Iraqi society after years of camp life. The situation in the camps is described as unacceptable by human rights organizations like Amnesty International who demand corrective actions. While some repatriation efforts have started slowly progress is slow as living conditions remain dire for those remaining trapped within these camps’ walls.
