Holidays without Joy in Camps amid harsh humanitarian conditions

With the arrival of the blessed Eid al-Adha, IDPs of the city of Serekaniye/Ras al-Ain are marking their eighth Eid inside displacement camps amid difficult humanitarian conditions and continued suffering caused by the harsh realities of displacement.

The suffering of the displaced worsens with the changing seasons, in the absence of the basic requirements for a dignified life. They have also lost the atmosphere of Eid, which now passes like an ordinary day overshadowed by pain and hardship instead of joy.

As these conditions repeat every holiday, residents renew their demands for a safe return to their villages and homes and for their reconstruction, in a way that guarantees them a stable life that preserves their dignity and puts an end to their continuous suffering inside the camps.

Ongoing suffering inside the camps

In this context, displaced resident Obeid Jumaa from the village of Al-Ameriya told ANHA's agency that conditions inside the camp are tragic. He stressed that what they demand is a safe return to their villages and homes, not a random or unsafe return.

He added that the displaced have grown tired of waiting and remaining in the camps, expressing hope that a safe return might be achieved after the Eid. He noted that they have even lost the joy of the holiday amid the tragic conditions they are enduring.

He affirmed his desire to return to his home and settle there despite the destruction it suffered, stressing the necessity of restoring life to the villages and rebuilding homes. He also called for providing support and assistance to displaced people to enable them to return and revive their regions once again.

Absence of joy during holidays in the camps

For his part, displaced resident Ahmad Hussein Al-Khalaf from the village of Leilan said that life inside the camp represents a major tragedy for them. He pointed out that they have spent many years away from their homes and villages while living under displacement conditions in the camps.

He added that they previously lived peacefully and safely among their relatives and celebrated holidays with their families, but now Eid passes like any ordinary day after they lost its joy and atmosphere.

He emphasized that they aspire to return to their homes just as the displaced people of Afrin returned, calling for support and assistance to help them rebuild their lives again.

Calls for safe return and reconstruction of homes

Displaced resident Sheikh Ali Hussein from the village of Al-Arisha said that their suffering worsens with the passing seasons, noting that years of living in tents have exhausted them and consumed much of their lives and health.

He added that they miss their relatives, their village life, and the bonds of affection that once united them, emphasizing that holidays now pass without any joy and have become like ordinary days inside the camps.

At the end of his remarks, he expressed hope for a safe return to his home and called on organizations to provide support and assistance for rebuilding homes and reviving the villages once again.

More than 75,000 displaced people, according to the Serekaniye Displaced Committee, are looking forward to safely returning to their homes and villages in accordance with the provisions of the January 29 agreement, in a way that ends their ongoing suffering and restores stability to their original areas, along with providing the necessary support to rebuild what years of displacement have destroyed.

ANHA