United News of Bangladesh

Ahmad Abdullah Hammoud was fortunate to have some stored food to sustain his family after a U.S.-funded organisation abruptly halted its aid efforts at the vast tent camp in northeastern Syria, where they have been confined for nearly six years, reports AP. His family is among 37,000 individuals, primarily women and children, with alleged links to the Islamic State group at the bleak, garbage-littered al-Hol camp. The Trump administration’s unprecedented freeze on foreign aid triggered chaos and uncertainty, further deteriorating already dire humanitarian conditions. USAID Trade Activity's Easy Export Series Equips Bangladeshi Exporters with Essential Food Safety Knowledge for Successful Export in EU, GCC, and US Markets For years, human rights organisations have reported on the harsh living conditions and widespread violence in the camp, which primarily accommodates wives and children of IS fighters as well as supporters of the militant group. Following the aid freeze announced shortly after Trump took office, U.S.-funded humanitarian programmes worldwide began shutting down, including the organisation overseeing much of al-Hol’s operations under the supervision of the U.S.-led coalition against IS. Blumont, a U.S.-based organisation, temporarily suspended operations, according to the camp's director. The group had been providing vital supplies, including bread, water, kerosene, and cooking gas. Blumont did not respond to queries. “We were distressed when Blumont stopped its activities," said Hammoud, who denies any affiliation with IS and had taken refuge in an IS-controlled area after being displaced during Syria's civil war. “Believe me, we found no food. Even bread arrived only at 2 p.m.,” said another camp resident, Dirar al-Ali. Camp director Jihan Hanan informed The Associated Press that other aid agencies, including the World Health Organization, had also halted some operations. “It is a disgraceful decision,” Hanan remarked regarding the Trump administration’s action, adding that some residents insisted they should be allowed to leave if food could not be provided. Blumont distributes 5,000 bags of bread daily at a cost of approximately $4,000, a burden local authorities in the Kurdish-run enclave cannot shoulder, she noted. Uncertain Future Hanan stated that Blumont received a two-week waiver from the Trump administration and resumed operations on 28 January. However, it remains unclear what will happen once the waiver expires. Mazloum Abdi, the commander of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that control northeastern Syria, said he had raised concerns about the aid freeze with officials from the U.S.-led coalition. “We are close to finding an alternative to this decision,” Abdi said, adding that an exemption could be granted for northeastern Syria. The U.S. aid freeze comes as IS seeks to exploit the vacuum created by the fall of Assad’s government in early December to insurgents. Another cut in food supplies could spark riots among camp residents, potentially benefiting IS, which still maintains sleeper cells within the camp. Hanan revealed that the camp had received intelligence from the U.S.-led coalition, the Iraqi government, and the SDF indicating that IS was planning an attack on the camp following Assad’s downfall. Security has been reinforced, and the situation is under control, she assured. The SDF manages 28 detention centres in northeastern Syria, holding approximately 9,000 IS members. According to Hanan and an official at the largest detention facility in the northeastern city of Hassakeh, security at al-Hol and these detention centres is unlikely to be affected by the U.S. aid freeze. Al-Hol’s main section houses around 16,000 Iraqis and 15,000 Syrians. In a separate, heavily guarded area known as the Annex, an additional 6,300 individuals from 42 countries—primarily wives, widows, and children regarded as the most fervent IS supporters—reside. The camp lacks paved roads and is strewn with rubbish. Teenagers and children, with little to occupy them, pass the time playing football or aimlessly wandering. Children in the Annex hurled stones at visiting Associated Press journalists, shouting, “You are a Satan” and “The Islamic State is lasting.” ‘Sustenance Comes from God’ A Chinese woman in the Annex, who identified herself as Asmaa Ahmad and said she was from China’s western Xinjiang region, described her husband as “an Islamic State martyr” who was killed in 2019 in Baghouz, eastern Syria, where IS lost its final stronghold. Ahmad, living in the camp with her four children, expressed reluctance to return to China due to fears of persecution. When asked about the temporary halt of U.S. aid, she responded, “Sustenance comes from God.” She added that she was awaiting rescue by IS members. Al-Hol is the most dangerous place in the world, asserted camp director Hanan, urging countries to repatriate their citizens to prevent children from being indoctrinated with extremist ideologies. “This place is not suitable for children,” she warned. For years, the U.S. military has been advocating for countries with citizens in al-Hol and the smaller Roj Camp to repatriate them. “Without international repatriation, rehabilitation, and reintegration efforts, these camps risk creating the next generation of ISIS,” said Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, head of U.S. Central Command, during a visit to al-Hol in mid-January. Hanan mentioned that since Assad’s fall, many Syrians in the camp had expressed a desire to return to areas now controlled by Syria’s new rulers. Camp authorities decided that any Syrian wishing to leave may do so. USAID website goes offline in Trump administration's 2-week-old freeze on foreign aid worldwide Even if the camp’s population declines, “there will be a catastrophe” if U.S. aid is suspended again, she cautioned.