Inside an Islamic State camp shaken by US aid cuts

Reverberations are being felt around the world after it emerged that US President Donald Trump was pausing American foreign aid. Among the countries in an uncertain position is Syria, where authorities face an uphill struggle to secure camps and prisons after conflict.

From a distance, al-Hol camp looks like a tent city.

In 2019, after the defeat of Islamic State (IS) militants, about 40,000 IS family members were housed in this camp in the Kurdish-controlled region of north-eastern Syria.

Most of the residents of the camp are women and children. It is so vast that it has its own bazaar and a clinic with a maternity unit.

Iraqi and Syrian Kurdish authorities fear it has become a breeding ground for IS. There are thought to be about 4,500 IS militants, including foreign fighters, held in prisons in this Kurdish-controlled region.

US President Donald Trump's decision to cut aid could make it harder for the Kurdish authorities to provide food, pay guards and ensure the security of both the camps and the prisons.

Friday's news that the US Department of State had issued a halt to nearly all existing foreign assistance, and paused new aid, prompted a few turbulent days at al-Hol, before operations resumed on Tuesday.

Jihan Hana is the camp manager, a Kurdish woman in her 40s. Speaking to the BBC on Tuesday, she explained that her team relied heavily on non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to provide for the camp's residents - and that some NGOs received up to 70% of their funding from the US.

"Today until 2pm, we didn't even have bread delivery scheduled," she said. "An NGO that co-ordinates the return of Iraqis from the camp halted its operations because it couldn't pay the guards. The NGO sent its civilian employees home and, as a result, the return of over 500 Iraqis has been delayed."

The fear of reduced aid poses a significant security threat for al-Hol. The NGOs depend on foreign funding to pay guards and maintain order. Entry into the camp is only permitted under armed security escort because of the volatile conditions.

A State Department statement did not comment directly on events at the camp but said the review of foreign aid spending was necessary.

"National security is and will remain a top priority. The review period is a measure put in place for us to align our ongoing work with the America First agenda."

We first visited the section of the camp designated for Iraqi and Syrian nationals. Men, women and children all reside here. Many of the children were born here.

The importance of the camp is highlighted by the fact that many of its inhabitants are afraid to leave to return home.

Maria, a 19-year-old Iraqi girl dressed in black with only her eyes visible, said she was 12 when she arrived at the camp. "My father is in prison and I don't know where he is held," she said. When asked if she wanted to return home, she shook her head and tears came to her eyes. "I am afraid of revenge."

When IS took over cities in Syria and Iraq, they killed many tribal and community leaders. Many IS family members have their own fears of imprisonment by their governments, or of retaliation from local communities.

Last week, Kurdish authorities offered to allow all of the camp's 16,000 Syrian nationals to voluntarily return home. Some have already left.

But many of them, like Abu Ebrahim - a Syrian from Hama - said he feared facing retribution. "I don't feel safe, I prefer to stay here for now," he said.

Sleeper cells for IS are reportedly active within the camp, and many inhabitants fear repercussions for speaking out. Others still believe in the IS ideology. There is always fear of detainees escaping - a fear that has not been assuaged by the possibility of an aid cut.

The foreign section houses families of IS members from more than 40 nationalities - including Europeans, Americans and families from former Soviet states. Camp manager Jihan Hana described this section as housing the most devoted supporters of IS ideology. Entry requires an armoured vehicle and heightened security.

Our guide Diana, a Kurdish security officer, explained that this section was composed solely of women and children.

"They are highly organised," she said. "They have their own secret police and secret courts, and violators of IS rules are punished. Boys over the age of 13 are separated from their families and taken to deradicalisation programmes."

The camp's policy of separating boys at the age of 13 has drawn criticism from human rights groups, but was defended by Jihan Hana, who cited security concerns. "The boys can cause significant problems. There have been uprisings where sections of the camp were set on fire and anyone entering was attacked."

During an interview with a woman from Tajikistan, children surrounded us.

When I tried to interact with them by offering a high five or handshake, they spat, kicked and threw stones at us. Some raised the IS one-finger salute, shouting "Allahu Akbar", which means "God is Great".

Gen Mazloum Abdi, commander of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), told the BBC the conflict in northern Syria - where Turkish-backed Islamist militias have intensified attacks against the Kurds - has further strained resources.

"Turkey's aim is to attack Kobane. If the fighting continues, we will have to redeploy forces to the front lines. This would create a security vacuum, potentially enabling Isis sleeper cells to stage attacks on camps and prisons to free their family members and militants from detention.