World roundup: February 4 2022

Stories from Iran, Ethiopia, Colombia, and more

INTERNATIONAL

In today’s global news:

• Worldometer is tracking COVID-19 cases and fatalities.

• The New York Times is tracking global vaccine distribution.

MIDDLE EAST

SYRIA

According to Human Rights Watch, the fate of some 600 children being held in the Syrian Democratic Forces’ prison facility in Hasakah remains unknown more than two weeks after Islamic State fighters attacked the facility in conjunction with a riot by the IS members inside. The SDF has still not indicated how many children were among the hundreds of IS personnel killed during the initial battle or the extended siege that followed as the SDF struggled to regain control of the prison, though it seems clear that the number is not zero. The US-backed militia also hasn’t offered any details as to how many children may have escaped during the fighting. It would not be out of the question for IS to have recruited among the population of boys held in the facility.