Rebuilding Lives: Syrians Face Harsh Realities Upon Return

Although aspirational returns are voiced by Syria’s interim leaders, the reality for many displaced families is grim, with widespread destruction from years of conflict leaving no homes to go back to.

Lubna Labaad stood amid a landscape ravaged by war, her eyes scanning the remnants of what used to be her community. The silence in Qaboun, Damascus, is punctuated only by the shadows of memories haunting the ruins. The once-vibrant neighborhood now bears only one enduring structure: a mosque, its outer wall echoing a long-ago plea for forgiveness from martyrs as the civil war's toll continues to resonate through the lives left behind.

After the abrupt end to 13 years of civil conflict following the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad in December, families like hers are caught in a bittersweet cycle of hope and despair. “We waited a long time for this moment,” Lubna, aged 26, expressed as she and her husband Da’aas, along with their young son, ventured back to their origins. Yet, while their home still stands, it was stripped bare by an intruding soldier, leaving them longing for a semblance of the life they once had.

The war has displaced over 13 million people, marking what the United Nations classifies as one of history's gravest humanitarian crises. The repercussions are stark—around six million have fled the country while approximately seven million remain displaced within its borders. For many, the hope of returning is futile as they confront the harsh reality of rubble where homes once flourished, leaving them questioning if ‘home’ is still a tangible place.

Amid this backdrop of loss and longing, the story of the Labaads is a microcosm of the emotional toll and enduring resilience of the Syrian people, as they grapple with the transformation of their homeland and the uncertain path ahead.