On 22 February 2026 the Syrian government announced the closure of Al Hol camp in northeast Syria, which at its peak in 2019 hosted more than 70,000 people, the majority of whom were women and children. Since January 2026, when control of the camp changed from Syrian Democratic Forces to the Government of Syria, the camp population sharply declined amid a period of political transition and insecurity. Some people reportedly escaped during the power shift on 20 January, while others were smuggled out in the days that followed. In the week leading up to the closure, remaining residents were relocated to Aq Burhan camp in Akhtarin, northern Aleppo, while some families returned directly to their areas of origin. Despite ongoing insecurity and the looting of MSF clinics, MSF remained one of the few organizations that continued to provide basic healthcare and access to clean water to the remaining people of Al Hol camp until the final day of relocation.