EBÎR MUHEMED

Qamishlo-Women and children are the most affected by wars and armed conflicts. People in Syria live in difficult conditions due to the war that has entered its 12th year. The 12-year war has displaced millions and left thousands orphaned.

These children face difficulties in accessing basic services such as health and education because they have no ID card. The Children’s House opened by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria provides services for children to integrate them into society and benefit from basic services.

Opened in 2015, the Children’s House is not the home of 45 boys and girls aged three to 17. One of the problems faced by the orphans staying in camps and the Children’s House is not having an ID card.

 

In an interview with NuJINHA, Xezal Berkel, the manager of the Children’s House, told us that the aim of the Children’s House is to provide a safe environment for orphans. “We have carried out many activities for the children. The main problem faced by these children is not having an ID card. The children who have no ID card will face more problems in the future.”

“The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria has played an important role in taking care of internally displaced people in Syria. Thousands of displaced people stay in the Newroz, Waşûkanî and Serêkaniyê camps, the families of ISIS members stay in al-Hol and Roj camps. The children staying in these camps have no ID card,” said the report released by the Bonyan Organization on November 25, 2022.

On July 25, 2023, the Directorate of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs released a report on the number of children staying in the camps. The report said:

“* 789 Iraqi, foreign and Syrian families live in Roj camp. Totally, 2,624 people stay in the camp. Most of them are the families of ISIS. 1,737 of them are children aged from one to 17.

* 2,796 families live in Erîşe camp, in total 14,344 people. 8,958 of them are children aged from one to 17.

* 2,580 families live in Serêkaniyê camp, in total 15, 607 people. 8,223 of them are children aged from one to 17.

* 2,362 families live in Waşûkanî camp, in total 16,657 people. 8,941 of them are children aged from one to 17.

* 11,006 families live in Newroz camp, in total 5, 969 people. 1,261 of them are children.

*30,745 children live in al-Hol camp.”

Evîn Cuma, Co-chair of the Human Rights Organization in the Cizîr Region, spoke about the children having no ID card in North and East Syria. “Everybody has the right to a legal identity. Unfortunately, many people have no legal identity due to the ongoing Syrian war.”

‘Children in camps are given a temporary identification card’

Noting that most of women, who had been subjected to sexual assault, stayed in camps, Evîn Cuma said, “ISIS members sexually assaulted many Yazidi, Iraqi and Syrian women. Most of the victims of sexual assault have lived in the camps in North and East Syria. However, their children have no legal identity. The children living in these camps are given a temporary identification card.”