Bab Al Salamah refugee camp real model of misery

Translation by Yusra Ahmed

(EQTSAD)- People in Bab al-Salamah camp on the Syrian-Turkish boarders, live in severe hard living conditions, where no drinking water or sanitary are available, threatening of diseases and epidemics, and children are the most vulnerable victims.

“In Open-air, Baba al-Salamah camp and forgotten tragedy of displaced children”, a report published by the Media office of the National Coalition for ٍSyrian Revolutionary and Opposition forces, details suffering of the Syrian families in the camp where living conditions are extremely difficult and teaching or healthy life lack minimal needs.

The camp situated next to Bab al-Salamah crossing near Azaz, which is controlled by the opposition for 2 years.

The camp covers an area of 8 Hectares, consists of 2341 tents and 100 caravans, 2441 families live there, almost 15600 people, the report mentioned.

There are only 1600 school children out of 5000 children, almost a third, 1200 of them in primary stage.

People in the camp receive two meals, breakfast and dinner, still, people feel that food is not enough and lack of quality. Moreover, meat is rare and children milk has stopped in the last three months, which can affect children’s health and growth.

The health situation in Bab al-Salamah camp is very bad, where is no sanitation, while sewage runs in the camp's roads. Water is provided by water stores and primary pipes distribute it to some points in the camp, which sometimes resulted in water's collection on the muddy soil which cause health problems and spreading diseases and could cause epidemics.

There are around 1000 cases of Leishmania because of insects and open sewage, while there is fears of spreading cholera, Typhoid, and many cases of diarrhoea.

According to the report, there is one medical point on 8 doctors, but still not enough to cover the camp’s needs.

There are 400 orphans in the camp, and 250 disabled of with special needs. No one to look after them, therefore they are forced to work for their livings especially in carrying and transporting stuff to and from Bab al-Salamah crossing, which could cause them many troubles in their health and body structure.

A child has one day a week of work for S.P 2000, to afford work opportunity for all, because the number of work seekers is big.

The report mentioned that 200 widows and 200 divorced woman live in the camp, responsible for their families, which force them to work in farming leaving their children for long time without care.

The ministry of transportation in the Interim Government paved streets of Baba al-Salamah and Atma camps besides piling lands under tents, to protect refugees from suffering of muddy ground in winter.