US-Backed SDF: Our Camps Are Full, But We Built Them
The New Arab reports a 'new wave' of Syrians, primarily women and children, are leaving the al-Hol displacement camp. This sounds like good news, a testament to stability, an end to suffering. What's often buried is that al-Hol swelled to its horrific size—housing over 50,000 people, many of them families of alleged ISIS fighters—under the watch of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). We
hear endless hand-wringing about the humanitarian crisis within these camps, yet conveniently forget the preceding military campaigns, supported by Western powers, that shattered communities and created an entire class of 'displaced persons' in Syria. The Syrian government has called for these returns for years; perhaps the international community now finds it convenient to oblige. The perpetual
cycle of displacement, blame, and belated 'aid' continues.