risk posed by Covid-19 has worsened the existing health concerns of many camp residents, with significant numbers of detainees already suffering from pre-existing conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, asthma, and heart conditions. The UN OCHA has reported that medical and health screenings which would normally be offered in the camps, such as malnutrition screenings, have had to be curtailed as a result of the risk of further Covid-19 transmission.56 77. In addition, the healthcare and logistical infrastructure of North East Syria generally has been placed under considerable strain by the pandemic. The closure of the Yaroubiya border crossing (between northern Iraq and the AANES) in January 2020 has resulted in severe disruption to services and closure of health facilities in the region, and has led to critical shortages of insulin, PPE, and ventilators. By mid-August 2020, only one of the three major field hospitals was still operating, running a reduced service. Recent estimates suggest that 75% of humanitarian facilities lack sufficient PPE to last the 2020/2021 winter, with healthcare workers forced to ration PPE, at significant risk of infection and spread of the disease.57 Education and Development The team observed delayed physical and cognitive development among the children it assessed: ‘I saw a one-and-a-half-year-old girl who looked like a six-month-old baby. Some two-year-old children don’t know how to walk 78. Setting aside immediate risks, the adverse effects of detention in the camps for children’s long-term development are clear, and undermine children’s rights to education. A Belgian medical team visited the al Hol and Roj camps in 2018 and 2019 to assess 41 Belgian children under five years old. The team observed delayed physical and cognitive development among the children it assessed: ‘I saw a one-and-a-half-year-old girl who looked like a six-month-old baby. Some two-year-old children don’t know how to walk,’ said one member of the team. The lack of stimulation and the stressful environment hampers cognitive development. As Professor Loots told RSI, ‘They have no possibility to develop. They are not able to play and be curious. Another problem is that they are not stimulated, not challenged cognitively. No experience is possible. They sit there and survive. The eldest one we assessed had a cognitive and language delay.’ One Belgian mother told RSI, ‘My child is suffocating in his ignorance.’ 79. There are no formal schooling facilities in the camps. Some informal education is offered by NGOs for a few hours a day in the al Hol Annex. ‘They attend class from 8am to 10.30am. They are currently learning the Arabic alphabet, the English alphabet, Arabic numbers, music, and they play. The class is crowded,’ a British mother said. But with thousands of children detained, the NGOs with access to the facilities lack capacity to provide effective services. 31 RIGHTS & SECURITY INTERNATIONAL