'Like living in the desert': Syrians brave dangers to return home in heavily shelled neighbourhoods
Nazir Abu Khadouj returned to Jobar near Damascus with his daughters three months ago, after his wife died. All that is left of his home are parts of the walls. The floor tiles and fittings were stripped and looted during the civil war. The Syrian father of three planted roses around his old patio and a vegetable patch on the street. “I was living in Ghouta [in the Damascus countryside]. We moved…
Syrians are braving dangers to return home to heavily shelled neighborhoods near Damascus. Nazir Abu Khadouj, a father of three, returned to Jobar three months after his wife's death. His home is left with only remnants of walls, stripped furnishings, and a crumbling structure. Abu Khadouj has no neighbors, nearby shops, or clinics, and his daughters have no schools nearby.
He describes the experience as "like living in the desert," but feels compelled to return to his hometown due to rising rents in Damascus. Since the Assad regime's collapse, residents of Jobar and other areas near the capital have started returning, even though the neighborhoods are not yet safe. Demining experts warn that unexploded bombs and the risk of buildings collapsing are still present.
However, Abu Khadouj is unconcerned, as the boys from the civil defense unit removed any mines present. The main challenge is the rising rents, which forces people to return despite the dangers. At least 800 people, mostly children, have been killed by mines and unexploded devices since the regime's fall. As more people return, the council grapples with the risk of residents finding and handling unexploded devices themselves.
Despite the risks, residents believe they must return to bring life back to their neighborhoods and start rebuilding.
Written by urgent.news from The National Business's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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