"Convoy of Hope" – A Roadmap Towards Sustainable Integration for Families Leaving Al-Hol Camp
In the presence of a representative from the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Director of the American Affairs Department, Mr. Qutayba Idlbi, Mr. Nour Eddin Al-Baba, the spokesperson for the Syrian Ministry of the Interior, and Ms. May Brazi, the Advisor to the Minister of Social Affairs and Labor for displaced persons.
In addition to representatives from the international coalition and several UN agencies and Syrian organizations, the Stabilization Support Unit held a dialogue session in Damascus, in partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), dedicated to discussing the future of the families leaving Al-Hol camp and the challenges related to their evacuation and reintegration into their local communities.
A detailed presentation was given during the session on the needs report for these families, including the main priorities:
- Urgent livelihood needs
- Psycho-social support
- Education follow-up for children
- Protection and empowerment plans for women
- Economic support programs to enhance community integration
The Executive Director of the Stabilization Support Unit, Munzer Sallah, spoke about the session, clarifying that its aim was to discuss the situation of Al-Hol camp and identify the basic needs of returning families, emphasizing the importance of evacuating the remaining families, over 14,000 of whom are mostly women and children, and that the main goal of this dialogue is to define roles and strengthen coordination mechanisms among all partners to ensure the desired results.
On her part, the Deputy Head of the UNHCR Mission in Syria, Asir Al-Mudai'in, highlighted that UN organizations operating in Syria are supporting the Syrian authorities in the process of return and rehabilitation of families in preparation for their return.
Mr. Qutayba Idlbi, Director of the American Affairs Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, confirmed that the Ministry's role in the refugee return process is based on coordination and integration with the relevant ministries and government agencies, particularly the Ministries of the Interior and Social Affairs and Labor, to provide all necessary services and logistics for the return of families to their original areas.
