Pain of displacement and hope of returning to Serekaniye

For Fatima Mohammed and Amina al-Jassem, returning home was not simply a journey that ended upon reaching their villages. Instead, it meant moving from one displacement tent to another, leaving behind years of waiting far from home only to face the reality of villages that lack the most basic necessities of life.

As they load their remaining belongings into transport vehicles, their eyes turn toward the land they were forced to leave, carrying with them long-awaited hopes and a tent that tells the story of displacement, with all its hardships and deprivation.

Since the displacement of Serekaniye's residents began, Fatima Mohammed has lived in Newroz Camp, far from her village of al-Sawda. After years of camp life, she has decided to return to her village, despite knowing that returning home will not end her suffering. Instead, she will have to start over in an area that lacks many basic necessities.

Fatima Mohammed says the first thing she will do upon arriving in her village of al-Sawda, near Serekaniye, is pitch her tent, just as she did throughout the years of displacement. Thousands of displaced people who moved between camps in search of shelter from harsh conditions have done the same.

Recalling her displacement journey, Fatima describes the tents that became shelters for those displaced from Serekaniye, saying: "When we return to the village, we will set up our tent, just as we did in the three camps for displaced people from Serekaniye: Washokani Camp, Serekaniye Camp and Newroz Camp."

Although her village still lacks many basic necessities and essential services, Fatima believes returning to her land is better than continuing to live in displacement camps. However, she does not hide the scale of the challenges awaiting her and her family, particularly securing water and bread, two basic necessities that are difficult to go without in daily life.

Fatima understands that returning home will not restore her former life overnight and that she will have to adapt to a new reality. Yet, given the limited options available to her, she sees returning to her village as the step she can take today, despite the challenges.

"We Have Nowhere to Stay. We Will Set Up Our Tent and Live in it with My Children"

Close to Fatima's story, Amina al-Jassem carries another tale of hardship. She spent seven years living in a tent in Newroz Camp before the time came to return to her village of Umm Hajar, near Serekaniye.

For Amina, the tent was more than temporary shelter. It was the place where she spent years in displacement, sharing the details of daily life with her children while waiting for the day she could return to her village. Now, as she prepares to leave, she has no choice but to gather her belongings and load her tent onto a transport vehicle, taking it with her on the journey home, just as it accompanied her throughout the years of displacement.

In simple words, Amina sums up the harsh reality experienced by many families in the camps, saying: "No, by God, we have nowhere to stay. We will set up our tent and live in it with my children."

After seven years of displacement, Amina is returning to her village without a ready-to-live-in home, forcing her to start over in the same tent that sheltered her in the camp. Caught between the joy of returning and the bitterness of the conditions awaiting her, she knows that reaching her village is only the beginning of another struggle to secure a decent life for herself and her children.

Amina says the lack of electricity, bread and other basic necessities will make the coming days difficult. However, she would rather face these hardships in her village than remain in a place where she does not feel she belongs or considers home.

Although Amina al-Jassem expresses her happiness at returning to her village and home, she remains concerned about the harsh living conditions caused by shortages of essential supplies, particularly with winter approaching. She therefore calls on the relevant authorities to support returnees and provide assistance that will enable them to rebuild their lives, cope with difficult living conditions and adapt to their new reality.

Returning to Their Land, but Hardships Remain

The stories of Fatima Mohammed and Amina al-Jassem share many similarities: years away from home, tents that became temporary shelters, children who grew up far from their villages, and hope that endured despite the long wait. Today, the two women are returning to their villages, carrying only the belongings they managed to gather and the tents that sheltered them throughout their displacement.

For both women, the importance of returning goes beyond simply changing locations. It also means regaining their sense of belonging to the land and living in the villages they were forced to leave. However, returning alone is not enough to overcome the consequences of years of displacement, as shortages of water, bread, electricity and other basic necessities make stability dependent on securing the minimum requirements for daily life.

Thus, the displacement journey does not end for Fatima and Amina when they leave Newroz Camp. Instead, each begins a new journey defined by returning home and searching for water, bread and shelter. Their hope is that the tents they carried from the camp will become temporary shelters on their own land, rather than symbols of another chapter of suffering.

a.k

ANHA