Switzerland: UN commission finds conditions at Al-Hol camp 'deplorable and inhumane'

W/S Independent Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic meeting, Geneva
M/S Journalist
SOT, Paulo Pinheiro, Chairperson of the Independent Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic: "Up to 70,000 individuals remain interned in deplorable and inhumane conditions at Al-Hol camp, the vast majority of whom are women and children under the age of 12."
M/S Journalists
SOT, Paulo Pinheiro, Chairperson of the Independent Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic: "The children from 12 to 18 they are children and adolescents, we think that this is very strange and of course do you know where these kids are, we don't know, perhaps you can ask member states where those guys are, considered terrorists if they have more than 12 years old. The commission finds this completely appalling."
M/S Journalist
SOT, Karen Abuzayd, Member of the Independent Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic: "Those who are in charge of these camps have limited resources as well; I mean they are put in places where there isn't good people in charge or people who are really interested in the future of these children or anybody else in the camps, women as well."
M/S Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic
SOT, Paulo Pinheiro, Chairperson of the Independent Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic: "There is a shared responsibility of several member states about the state of the camp, I think it will be unfair to blame those that are holding those people there."
M/S Journalist
SOT, Paulo Pinheiro, Chairperson of the Independent Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic: "Terrorists attacked military positions of pro-government forces and indiscriminately launched rockets towards government held areas, killing and maiming dozens of civilians in the countryside of Aleppo, Hama and elsewhere."
W/S Journalists
SOT, Paulo Pinheiro, Chairperson of the Independent Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic: "Aerial and ground offensives by pro-government forces to oust those terrorists and affiliated armed groups from Idlib, northern Hama, Latakia and western Aleppo escalated dramatically, destroying infrastructure essential to the survival of the civilian population, forcing almost half a million civilians to flee."
M/S Journalists
SOT, Paulo Pinheiro, Chairperson of the Independent Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic: "Hostilities also included the large-scale operations by the US-led international coalition and the Syrian Democratic Forces causing widespread destruction of towns and villages in Deir-ez-Zor."
W/S The Independent Commission of Inquiry on Syria
W/S Journalists
M/S Journalist
W/S The Independent Commission of Inquiry on Syria
W/S Palais des Nations
SCRIPT
A UN-appointed investigator voiced his concern over the "inhumane conditions" at the Al-Hol displaced persons camp during a press conference on the report of the Independent Commission of Inquiry on Syria, in Geneva on Wednesday.
"Up to 70,000 individuals remain interned in deplorable and inhumane conditions at Al-Hol camp, the vast majority of whom are women and children under the age of 12," said Paulo Pinheiro, the Chairperson of the Independent Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic.
He added that "there is a shared responsibility of several member states about the state of the camp, I think it will be unfair to blame those that are holding those people there."
The report of the Independent Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic also highlighted the increasing number of civilian casualties and large-scale destruction resulting from fighting in other parts of Syria.
"Hostilities also included the large-scale operations by the US-led international coalition and the Syrian Democratic Forces causing widespread destruction of towns and villages in Deir-ez-Zor," he added.