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Episode details

World Service,26 Feb 2026,29 mins

The women of IS: Part one

The Global Jigsaw

Available for over a year

What next for Syria’s detention camps and their residents? After the fall of the ‘Islamic State caliphate’, tens of thousands of women and children from around the world - followers of the group as well as its victims - ended up in a handful of camps in north-eastern Syria. Until recently run by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, those camps are now under the control of the Syrian authorities, who are in the process of closing them down and repatriating their residents. This three-part series explores the trauma that led to the prolonged existence of these camps. In part one, we picture what life has been like inside the tent city of al-Hol, and find out who its residents are. Contributors: Mina al-Lami, Jiyar Gol, Barry Marston, Mohammed Al-Jumaily Producer: Kriszta Satori, Elchin Suleymanov Presenter: Krassi Ivanova Twigg Music: Pete Cunningham

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