Returnees: Nothing compares to feeling of returning to one’s land

The third group of displaced residents from Serêkaniyê set out today for their villages and towns in the city’s southern countryside. The group consists of 3,242 people from 511 families, following seven years of displacement and hardship.

This is the third such group to return, following two previous groups in which around 1,100 families returned to their villages and homes.

As part of this return, ANHA agency spoke with displaced residents traveling with the group to hear about their feelings as they returned to their homes after years of suffering and hardship.

Ali Hassan al-Hasso, a displaced resident from al-Ameriya village, said, “We were displaced from our homes in 2019, and today we are returning to them. It was a very difficult period, and we thank the organizations that stood by us and provided us with the services we needed throughout these years.”

Regarding the condition of his home in the village, al-Hasso said, “We do not know what condition our home is in, but according to our neighbors, the house is in good condition, although its contents were stolen.”

He concluded by expressing his hope that all displaced people would return to their homes and lands as soon as possible, bringing the crisis of displacement to an end.

Meanwhile, Rahela Mohammed al-Saleh, from Shabliyah village, a woman in her fifties, sat waiting for the convoy to depart as rain fell. “I cannot describe how I feel. Our homes and lands have been devastated. My house was made of mud, and we suffered greatly while living in shelters filled with problems and hardship. Today, we are returning to our land,” she said.

She added, “I hope the suffering of all displaced people around the world comes to an end and that they return to their lands and villages. Nothing compares to returning to one’s own land.”

A-H

ANHA