About 20,000 children in northeast Syria are trapped in worsening conditions as violence surges and security collapses, Save the Children warned. The organization says it has lost reliable access to parts of Al Hol and Roj camps and to several “rehabilitation” centers, where thousands of children are being held. With the situation changing by the hour and humanitarian access shrinking, the safety of these children remains largely unknown.
Roughly 30,000 people—mostly women and children—live in the two camps, including around 8,500 foreign nationals from 60 countries. Ongoing fighting and reports of chaos inside and around the sites have raised fears that children are increasingly at risk of violence, exploitation, and neglect. Save the Children has paused all non-lifesaving activities in the area, including most of its child-support programs.
“We’re deeply alarmed by how quickly things are deteriorating,” said Rasha Muhrez, Save the Children’s Country Director for Syria. “Every hour without clear protection measures increases the risk of children being hurt, exploited, or coerced by armed groups. These children must not be punished for circumstances beyond their control. The world has to act now to keep them safe and bring them home.”
The group is urging governments to step up repatriation and reintegration efforts for families from other countries and to ensure civilian child-protection oversight under UN mechanisms. The camps have long been sealed off, with little access to healthcare, education, or legal aid—conditions that have left children growing up in fear and deprivation.
Save the Children called on all parties to stop the violence, allow humanitarian access, and find lasting solutions for both local and foreign families. The organization has operated in Syria since 2012, reaching more than five million people—three million of them children—with emergency food aid, education, and protection services.
