KABUL (BNA) Australia and other countries must continue to rescue their citizens from “dire” conditions in camps in north-eastern Syria, the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has said.
The global director general of the Geneva-based humanitarian organization, Robert Mardini, said the “state of in-limbo cannot last longer”.
“From a humanitarian perspective, this situation is simply untenable,” he said.
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In October, the Australian government repatriated four Australian women and 13 children from a Syrian detention camp that was holding the wives and children of slain and jailed Islamic State fighters.
But about 40 Australian citizens – about 30 children and about 10 women – are believed to remain there. While the the government has not yet announced any further repatriation missions, it is understood to remain committed to bringing the remaining Australian citizens out of the Syrian camps and back to Australia.
The issue of the repatriation of Australian women and children was raised with the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, at an Iftar dinner this week, held by the Australian National Imams Council, according to reports on media.
Bakhtar
