An International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) official on Wednesday said that hundreds of children in northeastern Syria are being held in prisons, in a territory that is under the control of the YPG/PKK terror group.  

"The past decade has been one of savage loss for Syrians. And within this immense tragedy, one of the most complex child protection crises today is deepening in the northeast,” Fabrizio Carboni, ICRC’s regional director for Near and Middle East, said in a statement.


Tens of thousands of children are stranded in camps and hundreds of children -- mostly boys, some as young as 12 -- are detained in adult prisons in the region, Carboni said.


He noted that he has visited many conflict zones around the world as part of his mission in ICRC, and said visiting the camp in the Al Hol town has been a “particularly harrowing experience every time” for him.

The Al Hol town is also under the control of the YPG/PKK terrorist group.


Al Hol houses around 60,000 people from more than 60 countries, the majority of them are from Iraq and Syria, and 90% of them are women and children.

Conditions in the camp are harsh and dangerous for both children and adults, Carboni said.


“Boys in particular live in a state of constant fear and mistrust. Once they reach a certain age, many are separated from their families and transferred to adult places of detention, which are no place for children,” he added./aa