For the traumatised Australian children escaping Syrian detention camps, help here will be life-changing

Around 60 Australian women and children are reported to be living in Syrian detention camps, most of them children under six years of age. This week, the federal government announced plans to rescue these Australians – family members of slain or jailed Islamic State combatants – from the camps and repatriate them. UNICEF says these and hundreds of other children in the camps are “critically vulnerable and in urgent need of protection”, without basics including warm clothes, hygiene, health, education and food. The time spent in the Syrian detention camps will have affected these children differently depending on their age and stage of development. Their experiences will likely affect their lifelong health and well-being. What is needed to address the trauma experienced during their stay and the challenges they will face following repatriation? How can we help?