Thousands of families have lived for years in terrible conditions in refugee camps in northern Syria, located near the Turkish border. Far from their homes, they find shelter in tattered tents that offer no protection from the summer heat or the winter cold.
For these people, the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime was an encouraging sign, as they hoped to be able to return to their homelands in the south. But many of the houses and infrastructure there are destroyed, which poses serious challenges for returnees. After years on the run, they also have to deal with major economic problems.
From one tent to another
"We may have lost our houses, but not our will to live and our ability to survive", Nadima al-Barakat, who returned to her home village in southern Syria, told DW. There, she now lives in a tent on top of the ruins of her destroyed house. The 36-year-old Syrian can hardly hold back her tears: "Everything here is devastated. Our possessions have been destroyed, as have our memories. Our house has been razed to the ground. We have no money to rebuild it - my husband was killed in an airstrike a little over four years ago." The reconstruction will cost about $5,000, she says. The woman doesn't have that much money.
Some of the houses and shops in the neighborhood where Al Barakat lives have been burned down, others have been reduced to rubble or looted by Assad regime militias. Basic services are also lacking. Before residents can return to normal life, many things need to be restored, including electricity and water supplies, schools and bakeries, the woman says. There is a lack of sanitation, a stable power supply, adequate medical care. Another big problem is the risk of fires.
Rebuilding brick by brick
Raed Al Hassan is tired - the 39-year-old has set about rebuilding his destroyed house brick by brick. His family of six has returned from the Harbanush camp near the Turkish border to his hometown of Maar Dibsa, south of Idlib, he told DW.
The man is collecting the remains of his destroyed house, rebuilding the walls of his home with stones. He is also reusing iron reinforcement from the collapsed ceiling. "The materials are not ideal, but we have no other choice", he says.
Destroyed hospitals and schools
Mohammed al-Raslan has also returned to his home. The high prices of construction materials have prevented him from repairing his house, the 45-year-old says. So he repaired it improvisedly - just enough for his family to have a roof over their heads.
"When I returned to Kafr Nabuda near the city of Hama with my wife and four children, I realized that all that was left of my house were a few half-destroyed walls without a roof", says the Syrian.
Initially, he covered the house with tarpaulin and closed the windows and gaping holes in the walls with pieces of cement. "We Syrians are used to adapting to the most difficult conditions. Despite its poor condition, the house is still better than life in the camps. There is no hygiene there and all kinds of diseases are spreading", assures Al-Raslan.
Once back, the residents find themselves facing numerous difficulties such as the high price of water and the lack of basic services, including medical care. All hospitals and clinics have been destroyed by bombs or looted. Schools have been reduced to rubble and cannot accommodate students, the Syrian said.
"Most villages and towns south of Idlib have been destroyed and need to be rebuilt," said Bilal Makhmoum, a spokesman for the government of the city of Maarat al-Numan in southern Idlib province. So far, between 15 and 20 percent of its former residents have returned to the city, and if basic services improve, this could encourage more of the displaced to return, he said.
"We can't do it alone"
The authorities are currently trying to establish how many returnees there are. Some of them are receiving small aid packages and free bread. A foundation has pledged to help rebuild 215 damaged houses, says Makhzum. This is the most urgent task - repairing the destroyed homes. Roads and streets are also to be paved and lighting repaired.
Currently, many families are living in tents on the ruins of their houses. However, this cannot be a permanent solution. "We hope that as many organizations as possible will get involved in the reconstruction. Because we cannot do it alone," the spokesperson added.
Author: Sonia Al Ali