U.S. warns: Nations must rescue 30,000 citizens from Syrian camps

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

Approximately 30,000 individuals from over 70 countries, mostly children under 12, remain in two displaced persons camps in northeast Syria.

This has prompted the U.S. Department of State to call for urgent action from nations to repatriate their citizens.

The announcement follows the successful repatriation last week of an unaccompanied U.S. citizen minor from one of these camps for family reunification, a process supported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Department of Defense.

The State Department, in a statement on Tuesday, stressed that the only lasting solution to the humanitarian and security crisis in these camps is for countries to repatriate, rehabilitate, reintegrate, and, where appropriate, hold accountable their nationals, including former ISIS fighters held in nearby detention centers.

“Every country must take responsibility for its nationals in northeast Syria and not look to others to solve the problem for them,” the department stated, urging nations to share the burden of addressing the crisis.

The U.S. commended the Syrian Democratic Forces for their role in facilitating the recent repatriation and their ongoing efforts to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS.

The camps, housing thousands of vulnerable individuals, according to experts, highlight the need for global cooperation to provide a future free from the dangers of terrorism and instability.