Yahya’s village in Syria was heavily bombed; it was the place of intense combats. Everything is destroyed and now littered with explosive remnants.
In a camp for five years
For five years, we used to live in Areesh Camp in Hassakeh, surviving in a tent. Life in the camp was difficult, and the aid we received was never enough, but at least we had access to some services. Still, this land is our home. We wanted to return, to rebuild, to herd our sheep and farm again.
Last August, I returned with my family to our village in Al Mura’ya, near Deir Ezzor, in Northeast Syria.
The fear of explosive remnants
Since coming back, fear has not left us. This area was once a frontline, close to the airport that was bombed daily. Our house is only one hundred meters from the fighting line.
The land is full of explosive remnants of war. Just a few days after returning, I found a submunition for the first time. I knew it was dangerous. I was terrified. Since then, I do not allow my children to leave the house. I warn them every day about the dangers outside.
Contamination has turned life here into a nightmare. A few days ago, we heard of a seven-year-old child who was severely injured by an explosive. Everyone is afraid. People want to farm their land, but they know they could lose their lives by doing so. Sometimes I ask myself if I made the wrong decision by coming back.
“We live in ruins”
Our challenges go far beyond contamination. We live in the ruins of our destroyed house. For ten days, we have tried to rebuild it with whatever materials we can find along the roads, stacking blocks just to have some walls. There are no doors, no electricity, no water. We sleep in the open with no privacy.
There are no schools, no hospitals, no clinics. My children fell sick last week, and I had nowhere to take them. This area is completely empty and abandoned. People refuse to return because there are no services and because of the deadly risks that surround us.
How to start from scratch?
My brothers are still in the camp in Hassakeh. When they saw the state of our house and our living conditions, they chose to remain in their tents rather than face what we are going through here.
We need urgent support. We need jobs, water, and help to rebuild our homes. We need schools and clinics. Above all, we need our lands to be cleared of explosives so that we can live and farm without fear. Today, we are living below zero. Without help, I do not know how we can survive.
