Interview: “They were attacking and burning the camp offices”Jihan Hanna, al-Hol Camp manager

Jihan Hanna, al-Hol Camp manager January 2025

 

“We were working in the camp until Sunday [18 January]. On Monday [19 January], we couldn’t make it to the camp, because the road was dangerous, there were attacks on checkpoints. Some colleagues were able to go for some hours then leave, I couldn’t leave myself. But we were in contact with NGOS for water and bread provision, and with Kurdish Red Crescent for medical provision, as well as another NGO called Shler. On Tuesday [20 January], we tried to deliver bread to the camp but were unable to do it. We spoke to the camp by telephone, there was the sound of shooting and they said there was an attack on the camp.

They called us and said they were attacking and burning the camp offices, the Kurdish Red Crescent offices. They were looting the facilities. After, I saw the SDF statement that they had withdrawn from the camp.

What happened is that locals, the tribes in the town of al-Hol, next to the camp, rose up and surrounded the Asayish [Internal Security Forces] there. Some of the Asayish at al-Hol Camp had to go to their aid, and the camp residents saw there were gaps [in security] and seized their opportunity. There are 23,000 camp residents: if 1000 people work together as one, they can’t be withstood. And if the SDF had opened fire on them, this would of course have created a catastrophe.

So the SDF were forced to withdraw and there was a pause until the [STG] forces arrived and took it over. There was many case of escapes then, a lot of locals and people there informed us, there were videos too.

Now, the NGO offices have all been burned. When people arrive to their offices they will know what damage has been incurred, but I know that our office, the Kurdish Red Crecent Office, the Shler NGO office have all been looted and burned, causing millions of dollars of damage.

When the Asayish and SDF withdrew, the Kurdish Red Crescent were still in the camp. When those who protected their offices withdrew, they also withdrew, because they were scared. The first office that was burned was the KRC office, and after our camp administration office. If they were there, they would have been killed, so it’s good they left.

We don’t know how many escaped. According to the images, video and information we received, they escaped from the general section of the camp. No-one can get out of the foreigner’s annex, as everyone knows. Those men who are seen breaking out of the gate of the camp are at the very front of the camp. No-one could have stopped them. They were mostly Syrians. The camp population is now mostly Syrians and foreigners. The Iraqis are very few in number, most wanted to return to Iraq.

I know that for the next day, and the day after, nothing arrived to the camp – no bread, no water. The UN went yesterday and today and managed to reach the camp. It’s a catastrophe. It won’t be taken under control quickly. The camp is very extensive. We had been intending to reduce its extent, since two of its sections were empty.

We had repatriated the Iraqis there, and those sections were empty. Now, the Syrians and foreigners have spread all the way throughout the camp. How they are going to be brought back into order, how the NGOs are going to get back in there and if they’re going to be accepted, remains to be seen. Because the NGOs aren’t accepted by the camp residents.

We constantly told the world, as the administration of the camp, we constantly warned that if something like this occurred the camp would be in a terrible situation. We warned that there would be a humanitarian catastrophe.

What’s good is that  the clashes remained in the vicinity of the camp, and didn’t reach the gates or cross into the camp. If they had reached into the camp, it would have been a catastrophe. Now, unfortunately, the world has failed to fulfil its responsibility. Unfortunately, we worked extremely hard these past four years to ensure the camp would remain peaceful, and that we could return these women and children to their homes. But it’s clear the world didn’t want this, and now you see the situation.”