The children are suffering. Many are stunted, weak and underweight from poor nutrition. Some have serious injuries that require immediate treatment, such as removing shrapnel, surgery that camp medical facilities are ill-equipped to carry out.
Every day these Australian children spend there, more harm is being done. Every day they risk injury, illness or even death. These children have faced incredible dangers, including coercion, trafficking, enslavement, and sexual exploitation. They are now being denied their rights to education, healthcare and freedom.
These are innocent Aussie kids. But many of them have only ever known life in the camp. No child, no matter the alleged actions of their parents, deserves to live like this.
Mat Tinkler, CEO of Save the Children Australia, recently visited one of the camps in North East Syria. Take a look at the following video in which he describes his experience.