STORY: Syria's northeastern refugee camp sees first voluntary repatriation of 58 families
SHOOTING TIME: Feb. 11, 2025
DATELINE: Feb. 12, 2025
LENGTH: 00:01:48
LOCATION: Damascus
CATEGORY: POLITICS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of displaced Syrians inside the camp
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): SALWA AHMED HAJO, Administrator at Al-Arisha Camp
3. various of Syrians about to leave the camp
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): ABDUL SATTAR KHALED AL-ABD, Displaced person from Deir al-Zour province
5. various of trucks leaving the camp

STORYLINE:

The Al-Arisha refugee camp in northeastern Syria on Tuesday recorded the first large-scale voluntary repatriation of displaced Syrians, which involved 305 people from 58 families, an official at the camp told Xinhua.

Salwa Ahmad Hajo, an administrator at the camp, said there will be more planned returns of displaced Syrians in the coming weeks.

Hajo attributed the voluntary returns to Syria's political changes, deteriorating living conditions in the camp, and the "dwindling capacity of aid organizations."

SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): SALWA AHMED HAJO, Administrator at Al-Arisha Camp
"After the fall of the regime and the recent decline in the capabilities of humanitarian organizations, especially the reduction of services in the camp, most families are now preparing to leave and return to their hometowns."

SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): ABDUL SATTAR KHALED AL-ABD, Displaced person from Deir al-Zour province
"We decided to leave because the situation in the camp has deteriorated. The organizations have withdrawn, and the conditions have become very bad. We made the decision to return to our villages, where we can manage our affairs better than staying here. The situation in the camp has become extremely difficult, and there is nothing left here."

According to media reports, the Al-Arisha refugee camp, some 25 km south of the city of Hasaka, is one of the largest camps in the region, housing nearly 14,000 people in about 2,700 families. However, there are currently only five international aid organizations operating in the camp alongside a few local charities, as the rest have left amid funding shortages.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Damascus.
(XHTV)