Psychological recovery center for Al-Hol returnees opens in Hit, Anbar

ANBAR — A psychological recovery center, Al-Tadamun for Recovery, was inaugurated in Hit, Anbar, on Tuesday to assist families and individuals returning from the Al-Hol camp. The center’s primary goal is to rehabilitate returnees and help them reintegrate into the local community. The opening ceremony was attended by local dignitaries and political figures.

Omar Adel, the center’s director, explained the significance of the initiative to 964media. “The center was opened in the presence of Anbar officials and local government representatives due to its importance in reintegrating returnees from displacement camps,” Adel said.

The majority of returnees from Al-Hol and Jad’ah camps are originally from Hit, making their reintegration a priority for the local community. “We are working on the psychological rehabilitation of these individuals in collaboration with specialists, focusing on women and children in particular,” Adel added.

Jad’ah camp, located about 7 kilometers from the Qayyarah district and 86 kilometers from Mosul, serves as a temporary home for repatriated Iraqis.

The center’s efforts extend beyond rehabilitation, as it aims to promote social peace in the region by reducing conflicts. “We have several initiatives in Anbar, especially in Hit, which will contribute to reducing tensions and fostering peace in the area,” Adel noted.

In late August, Iraq’s National Security Advisory reported that 2,448 families, totaling roughly 9,000 individuals, had been successfully repatriated from Syria’s Al-Hol camp.

Al-Hol camp, situated in Syria’s northeastern Hasakah governorate, was home to over 50,000 people, primarily women and children, many of whom are under the age of 18. The camp has been referred to as a “ticking time bomb” due to fears it could become a breeding ground for extremism. Most of its residents are Syrian and Iraqi nationals, with many suspected of having ties to ISIS.

ISIS, which declared a caliphate in 2014 and took control of large areas of Iraq, including Mosul, was largely defeated in 2017 through joint efforts by Iraqi forces, Kurdish fighters, and international coalition support. Although it has lost territorial control, ISIS remnants still pose a security threat in some remote areas.