After Fleeing War, Syrian Families Say 'Nowhere to Go'

Ghossoon drives her family in search of shelter in the town of Maaret Misrin town in Syria's Idlib province. (AFP)
Ghossoon drives her family in search of shelter in the town of Maaret Misrin town in Syria's Idlib province. (AFP)
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After Fleeing War, Syrian Families Say 'Nowhere to Go'

Ghossoon drives her family in search of shelter in the town of Maaret Misrin town in Syria's Idlib province. (AFP)
Ghossoon drives her family in search of shelter in the town of Maaret Misrin town in Syria's Idlib province. (AFP)

Exhausted from days of driving in search of shelter in northwest Syria, 38-year-old Ghossoon has no idea where her family will go after fleeing regime and Russian bombardment.

"Thank God we have this car to sleep in, even if it's not comfortable," she said, after parking the grey people-carrier by the side of the road.

"We've spent two nights in it so far," she said, sitting on a blanket and leaning back against the vehicle in Maaret Misrin, a town in Idlib province.

"This will be the third night. We'll stay in it again because we can't find anywhere else to go," she added, according to AFP.

By her side, Ghossoon's husband crouches with their baby daughter in his arms, while their young son, who is wrapped up in a winter coat, clutches a packet of plain biscuits.

Russia-backed regime forces have pounded Syria's last major opposition bastion over the past two months, forcing more than 580,000 people from their homes and onto the roads.

In the extremist-ruled region of some three million people, entire families have headed north in cars piled high with blankets, chairs and pans as they seek to survive the winter.

But many are struggling to find protection from the cold along the Turkish border, which was closed by Ankara in response to waves of displacement earlier in Syria's nine-year war.

'More people than homes'

Ghossoon and her husband have stuffed warm blankets and pillows in the back of their car, while they have strapped large plastic woven mats to the roof.

"We went to the camps, but there wasn't any space there," Ghossoon said. "We looked for a home but the rent was really expensive. Where am I supposed to find the money?"

The average monthly rent in Idlib's northern countryside was around $150 per apartment before the latest wave of displacement; the few available are now priced as high as $350, according to an AFP correspondent.

On Wednesday, eight organizations called for an immediate ceasefire, describing the situation as a "humanitarian catastrophe".

Bahia Zrikem from Humanity Inclusion said "there are simply more people than (there are) homes available."

"Many of those who have fled are sleeping in their cars or camping by the side of the road."

In a newly-established camp on the edge of Maaret Misrin, tents made available for newcomers are already packed.

Entire families are sleeping on the muddy floor, with carpets, mattresses, and household appliances stacked around them, an AFP correspondent said.

Designed to host 350 families, the camp is now brimming with more than 800, and people keep flooding in.

Mustafa Haj Ahmad arrived in the camp only days ago along with 30 relatives, including his wife and seven children.

The 40-year-old said he fled fighting near his hometown of Sarmin carrying nothing but clothes.

When he arrived in the camp, he couldn't find a tent for his family.

"We have been sleeping under trees for the past two days," he told AFP.

'Roof over our heads'

Even though Mustafa can't afford to rent a house closer to the Turkish border, he said he is determined to head there.

"We will sleep in the olive groves, I don't know what else we can do."

According to the Norwegian Refugee Council, displacement camps are at five times their capacity and rental prices have skyrocketed in towns in Syria's northwest.

This has forced Alaa Aboud, 38, to relocate his family from northern Idlib to the provincial capital, only a few kilometers away from the frontline.

He now lives with his wife, five children, his two parents and his brother in an unfinished building in Idlib city.

The rudimentary cinderblock home doesn't have windows or doors installed.

The floors don't have tiles and the walls need painting.

A carpet and cushions are laid out on the floor.

"This place is better than others, at least we have a roof over our heads," Alaa said.

"But if the roof is destroyed over us, then it would be better to live in the mud," he added, fearing attacks on Idlib city.

Preparing for an eventual offensive on the city itself, he said he is looking for a plot of land further north, where he can pitch a tent.

But he said he hopes he won't need it.

"May God spare us," he said. "We are tired."



Compensation Delays Leave Beirut Southern Suburbs’ Families in Ruined Homes

A man surveys the damage caused by Israeli airstrikes on the southern suburbs last week. (EPA)
A man surveys the damage caused by Israeli airstrikes on the southern suburbs last week. (EPA)
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Compensation Delays Leave Beirut Southern Suburbs’ Families in Ruined Homes

A man surveys the damage caused by Israeli airstrikes on the southern suburbs last week. (EPA)
A man surveys the damage caused by Israeli airstrikes on the southern suburbs last week. (EPA)

In Beirut’s southern suburbs, amid buildings scarred by war, residents continue to suffer from severe damage to their homes caused by the recent conflict.

In the Mrayjeh and Saint Therese neighborhoods, locals face a harsh reality of ruined houses, stalled compensation, and unfulfilled promises, while reconstruction projects remain frozen amid deep uncertainty.

In Mrayjeh, where the destruction still marks the walls of homes, Ali, a resident, told Asharq Al-Awsat about the near-total damage to his house.

He said: “After my home was almost completely destroyed, we were told there was an urgent reconstruction plan and that compensation would be paid within a few months. But the reality is completely different.”

“All we actually received was four months’ worth of shelter allowance starting in January, totaling no more than $2,000. After that, all aid stopped, and we have not received any financial support to repair the damage,” added Ali.

On the scale of his losses, Ali said: “My home is no longer habitable. It was completely damaged—from the walls to the floors, from water and electricity networks to furniture that was entirely ruined. I barely managed to salvage anything.”

“Yet, I have received no compensation for the losses. Since the damage occurred, I have been covering all costs out of my own pocket. So far, I’ve spent more than $10,000, and I’m still at the beginning of the road. In my estimation, I need at least another $30,000 to restore the house to a livable condition.”

But the biggest shock came in recent weeks, when they were officially informed that restoration work in the building was halted “until further notice.”

Ali explained that the entity responsible for the repairs, appointed by Hezbollah, told them bluntly: “Funding has stopped, so no work can continue. All they managed to do was reinforce a support wall on the ground floor, then they stopped and left as if nothing happened.”

The building is now at risk of total collapse, with many families either displaced or living in inhumane conditions.

Regarding their appeals to the authorities, Ali said: “All our inquiries receive the same response: ‘There is no funding currently, please wait.’”