Life in the camp in Kafr Jalis, rural Idlib, is not the same as it was before December 8, 2024, when the regime fell. While Noura Al-Abdo, 32, and her husband Ibrahim Al-Ahmad, 35, continue their daily routines with their four children—Mohammad, 9, Suhail, 7, Youssef, 6, and Abdo, 2.5—a new sense of hope is growing.
For five years, since being displaced from Ma’saran, southern Idlib, Noura has cared for her family, keeping their shelter as clean and comfortable as possible.
But today, she allows herself to dream of going home.
“Our lives have changed…We were happy when the regime fell, and now we’ll return to our village. Everything will get better.”
Noura
But Ma’saran still lacks basic services, making an immediate return impossible. Her home was looted and stripped—doors, windows, cables, and pipes all taken. Many of her camp neighbours have already returned, choosing to endure hardship for the chance to rebuild. But for now, she must wait—winter makes it impossible, as she cannot provide heating for her children.
“We expect to leave in two months, when spring begins,” she says.
The war still lingers in their daily life. “The children are still scared. Just yesterday, a plane flew over, and they started crying, thinking it was going to bomb them,” she says.
Despite everything, hope remains. “I was happy to see my neighbours return,” she says. “I feel a little sad that I have to wait, but I hope my village will receive support so we can restore our homes and return soon.”
