Fears for safety of Australian boy born in Syrian refugee camp

There are fears for the safety of Australian baby boy born in the al-Hawl refugee camp in northeastern Syria.

A file image of  a wife of an IS fighter with her children at the al-Hawl camp in northeastern Syria on 3 June 2019.

A file image of a wife of an IS fighter with her children at the al-Hawl camp in northeastern Syria on 3 June 2019. Source: AAP

Aid groups have expressed concern for the health and safety of an Australian born in a Syrian refugee camp.

The baby boy was born on November 30, bringing the total number of Australian children in the al-Hawl camp to 47, most of whom are aged under five.

"It's hard to imagine a worse place for a child to be born than inside these camps," Save the Children spokesman Mat Tinkler said on Wednesday.

"The arrival of another brutal Syrian winter brings the added threat of snowstorms, sleet and icy conditions."
The boy's mother, from western Sydney, was pregnant when she entered the camp.

His father is missing.

In the past year, hundreds of children have died, either inside the camps or on their way to them from conflict zones.

'Odds stacked against him'

"This baby has the odds stacked against him from the very first day of his life," Mr Tinkler said.

"He is one of thousands of children forced to live without running water, proper healthcare facilities and where food supply is highly uncertain."

The baby boy and his mother are said to be in reasonable health.

"However, this child's life - and the lives of the more than 40 other Australian children trapped in this camp - remain at risk as long as they remain in such a dire environment," Mr Tinkler said.
Women and children at the al-Hawl camp.
Women and children at the al-Hawl camp. Source: AAP
"A number of these children are already suffering pneumonia and other treatable illnesses, a situation which will only be exacerbated with the onset of winter."

Save the Children has repeated calls for the Morrison government to evacuate Australians from the camp.

The government has repeatedly rejected calls to repatriate the women and children, arguing it would place Australian lives at risk.


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2 min read
Published 11 December 2019 8:48am
Updated 11 December 2019 9:17am


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