Hundreds of displaced families left the Tala’i camp in northeastern Syria on Tuesday, beginning the journey back to their homes around Ras al-Ayn, also known as Sere Kaniyeh, after years of displacement.
Drone footage shows buses, cars and trucks packed with furniture and belongings streaming out of the camp. A nurse can also be seen examining an elderly woman, while a United Nations vehicle accompanies the convoy.
The convoy, carrying around 700 families, headed towards villages in the countryside of Ras al-Ayn, Tal Tamr and Zarkan as part of a government-backed return programme.
Mohammed Saleh Mayuf, one of those returning, highlighted the hardships faced by displaced children, including limited access to education and medical care.
“During our time away, our children suffered from a lack of schools and medical services, and life in the camp was full of hardship. We hope that stability and security will prevail in the country and specifically in Ras al-Ayn,” he said.
Lina al-Dakheel, another displaced resident, expressed optimism about returning home, saying ‘this is what everyone has been hoping for.’
“However, the problem is that our villages have been completely destroyed. […] We hope that the government and any other organisations capable of helping will support us in rebuilding our villages and meeting our needs,” she added.
Mustafa Abdi, a member of the presidential team overseeing implementation of the agreement between Damascus and the former Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), said the families were returning to areas where mine clearance and the removal of dangerous remnants of war had been carried out.
“It followed a review of lists of returnees submitted by camp officials, as well as the provision of transportation and humanitarian aid, supported by the United Nations,” he continued.
Tuesday’s convoy is the second organised return to Ras al-Ayn. The first, in August, brought 413 families back to the area.
The previous convoy was marred by violence, with reports that returnees were assaulted and vehicles attacked as they entered Ras al-Ayn. Security forces later intervened.
Tens of thousands of civilians fled Ras al-Ayn and surrounding areas in October 2019 during Turkey’s Operation Peace Spring, with many settling in al-Hasakah and nearby camps.
Fighting broke out between Syrian government forces and the SDF in northeastern Syria in January. The two sides later agreed to integrate SDF military and civilian institutions into the Syrian state and facilitate the return of displaced people.
On August 25, SDF commander Mazloum Abdi announced that the group had dissolved as an independent military force after completing its integration into the Syrian army. He was later appointed an adviser to Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa.
Source: Viory
