The South African women and children are among an estimated 11,000 foreigners detained between the Al-Hol and Roj camps, the majority of which are children.
“Reprieve has visited Camp Roj many times and has met with South African women and children,” Reprieve’s head of the Syria and Iraq detention project, Katherine Cornett, told DM168 this week.
Cornett described the South Africans as being “imprisoned in conditions that are widely acknowledged to be catastrophic”, without adequate food, water or medical care. They live in tents which are freezing cold in winter and dangerously hot in summer.
“A child reportedly dies roughly every three days in these camps, including from preventable illnesses and tent fires,” Cornett said.
“We are aware of South African citizens in detention who are gravely ill, and we are deeply concerned about their wellbeing if they are not repatriated soon.”
Read the full story at the Daily Maverick.