365 Days of transition in Syria

In Jabalya, in rural Idleb, we met Abdulkareem. He and his family returned just a few months ago after being displaced multiple times and living in a tent for more than five years.

He recalled: “When we came back everything was destroyed; no windows, no doors.”

Many of Abdulkareem’s neighbours returned with nothing but their scarred tents, pitching them beside the remains of their damaged houses. “We were fortunate to receive support to rehabilitate our house,” he added.

Hazem, a returnee who recently left the camp in northern rural Aleppo, shared a similar story:

“When we returned the village was in ruins. What was once fertile agricultural land had been abandoned all these years. BINAA Organization for Development [a Syrian non-governmental organization] helped us rebuild. We installed doors and windows – it was the first step towards feeling at home again.”

Thanks to the efforts of BINAA Organization for Development, supported through the Syria Cross-Border Humanitarian Fund (SCHF), families in Jabalya, like Abdulkareem’s and Hazem’s, received essential and life-changing assistance, from rehabilitating damaged homes to restoring the village’s water network.

The project aims to support 494 families planning to return from displacement sites to Jabalya, in the Kafranbel subdistrict of Ma’arra, Idleb Governorate. Its main aim is to repair moderately and heavily damaged houses and restore vital infrastructure so that families can return and reintegrate safely and sustainably. 

In western rural Aleppo, particularly in Khan Al-Assal subdistrict, families are slowly finding their way back after years of displacement. 

“We returned as soon as we could, in December 2024. No more living in tents,” said Um Mahmoud. “When I saw my house I barely recognized it, but we were still happy to come back. The cash assistance received two months ago from the Humanitarian Fund helped us start rebuilding our lives.”

For Abdulrahman and his wife, the journey home came after 13 years of moving from place to place. 

“Rebuilding your home from nothing is incredibly hard,” he said. “But the cash assistance helped us get through it and gave us the strength to face whatever comes next.”

Thanks to ZOA, an international non-governmental organization supported by the OCHA-managed Syria Humanitarian Fund (SHF), 500 people in Khan Al-Assal received cash assistance as part of efforts to ensure safe and dignified returns for families.

Rawaa, a single mother, returned from Türkiye with her two children to Harbnfsi village, in rural Hama, carrying with her years of hardship and the heavy memories of conflict. 

She explained: “When I fled, the house had already been damaged by shelling.”

Despite the hardship, Rawaa’s love for Syria remains unwavering. Like many women who have returned, Rawaa dreams of starting a small business – something steady that would allow her to provide for her children’s education and daily needs. 

She explained: “If I had my own project, I could finally offer my children the future they deserve.”

Rawaa’s situation reflects the reality for countless women across Syria who carry the responsibility of rebuilding their lives alone, who strive to keep their children in school, and who need meaningful economic opportunities to secure their families’ futures. Empowering women and ensuring equal access to work is not only essential for their survival but for the recovery of entire communities.

Areej and her daughter Amira returned from Jordan to Al Yarmouk Camp, in Damascus, after 12 years. But for Amira, returning to Syria was filled with hesitation and fear; she had left the country as a child and remembered almost nothing of her early life here. More than anything, she struggled with the idea of leaving the friends who had become her second family.

“At first I wasn’t ready to come back,” Amira admitted quietly. “But when I started school again and began meeting new friends I felt happy, like I was finally home.”

Areej explained how education played a decisive role in their return: “When I heard the school had reopened, I knew it was time. Rehabilitating schools and health facilities gives families the confidence to come back. It makes returning possible.”

A year on, many Syrians have been starting to return and rebuild. About 3 million people have returned home, but 7 million remain internally displaced and nearly 4 million more as refugees in the region.

Thanks to the generosity of donors, the United Nations and its partners are working tirelessly to support, but the Syria Humanitarian Response Plan remains critically underfunded, with only 29 per cent of the required US$3.19 billion secured.

Now, more than ever, Syrians need your help to survive and rebuild their lives. You can help by donating here