• 29 Apr, 2026

Defying destruction and harsh economic conditions, many residents of Homs are returning to their devastated neighborhoods after years of displacement. For these families, the return is not merely a practical decision but an emotional journey to reclaim memories, identity, and a sense of belonging in a city once known as the “Capital of the Syrian Revolution.”

Returning to Ruins, Holding on to Hope

A month ago, Doaa Turki (30) returned with her husband and four children to their home in the Al‑Khaldiyeh neighborhood. The house contains little more than a few utensils on wooden shelves and a television with no electricity. Her husband searches for work “anywhere,” while she spends her days with neighboring women who have also returned, watching the nearly empty streets through broken windows and shattered walls, hoping for humanitarian workers to pass by and offer assistance.

Doaa describes her home, its walls blackened and its windows gone: “The house is burned, there are no windows, no electricity… We cleared the rubble, laid down a mat, and sat. Despite all this destruction, we are happy to be back. This is our neighborhood, our land.”

A Neighborhood Without Shape… But Full of Memory

Her home overlooks a street whose landmarks have vanished, with gaping holes in the walls revealing remnants of buildings that once bustled with life. Yet for the returning families, simply being back is a step toward reclaiming their past.

Homs: From the Spark of the Revolution to Years of Siege

Homs was among the first cities to join the 2011 uprising, and soon became a center of armed confrontation. The Baba Amr neighborhood served as a stronghold for the Free Syrian Army before the regime recaptured it in March 2012. Afterward, government forces imposed a suffocating siege on several districts, subjecting them to near‑daily bombardment that caused massive destruction and hundreds of deaths, forcing tens of thousands to flee.

Returning Against All Odds

Today, some residents are returning to neighborhoods without electricity, water, or basic infrastructure. But they return because the place is more than buildings—it is memory, identity, and home. Despite the absence of life’s essentials, these families insist on rebuilding what was lost, even with limited means, holding on to their right to their city and their future.