Key Takeaways
- The Kyrgyzstan repatriating 83 women and children marks a significant humanitarian step.
- Al-Hol camp still houses tens of thousands of displaced persons from over 60 nations.
- The United States supports Kyrgyzstan’s effort and encourages broader international cooperation.
Washington: The United States welcomes Kyrgyzstan repatriating 83 women and children from the Al-Hol camp in Syria and stands ready to cooperate with other nations on their repatriation efforts, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said.
“The Kyrgyz Republic’s repatriation of 83 women and children from the al-Hol displaced persons camp in northeast Syria is another important step to resolve the humanitarian and security challenges that have followed the territorial defeat of ISIS [Islamic State, outlawed in Russia],” Miller said in a statement on Tuesday.
The spokesperson said the United States supported Kyrgyzstan’s repatriation of its nationals and stands ready to continue its cooperation with other nations in their repatriation efforts.
Miller noted that Kyrgyzstan’s repatriation was the third this year after it repatriated 95 women and children in August.
Miller also said that about 35,000 persons from more than 60 countries outside of Syria remain in the al-Hol and Roj camps.
“Repatriation is the only durable solution,” Miller said.
More than 3,000 people have been repatriated to their countries of origin from the two camps this year, helping to ease the burden of providing humanitarian services and reducing the risk of Islamic State exploiting this vulnerable population, Miller said
Numerous European countries, including the United Kingdom, Denmark and Belgium, have said they are reluctant to take back their nationals captured alongside terrorists in Syria and Iraq as well as their wives and children.
