The sound of chants and celebration filled the air as Syrians flooded into the streets of towns and villages all over the country expressing their overwhelming joy at the fall of Bashar al-Assad on the morning of 8 December 2024.
The elation of the displaced saw people overcome by a mixture of tears and laughter, reflecting the long years of oppression, injustice, and hope that was never extinguished.
In Idlib, which has suffered from years of besiegement, bombardment and devastation, open spaces which had long been feared as sites of likely targeting were transformed into arenas filled with jubilation, as young people raised Syrian opposition flags, proclaiming the victorious Syrian revolution and chanting slogans calling for freedom and dignity.
“I’ve lived more than 10 years of oppression, siege and bombardment. Today I feel like I’ve been born again”
Naima Shaban, who lives in the Qah camp in northwest Syria, said to The New Arab: “I’ve lived more than 10 years of oppression, siege and bombardment. Today I feel like I’ve been born again — this isn’t just the end of a tyrannical regime; it’s the start of a new era in the life of every Syrian.”
Although the joy was indescribable, Naima, originally from Kafranbel, lost her son in the war, Â like countless other mothers, and for her, the happiness was mingled with heartbreak and grief. Â
“I feel happy we’ve finally emerged from the nightmare of the blood-soaked criminal regime, but my son, whom I lost at the start of the revolution, who sacrificed his life for freedom… how I wish he was here to witness this historic day.”
Despite the lightning-fast offensive (dubbed ‘Deterrence of Aggression’), which saw victory declared by the opposition factions led by Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) within a matter of days, retaliatory bombardment by the now-ousted regime forces as it lost control saw another wave of mass displacement in multiple areas of northwestern Syria.
Over a few days, regime and Russian warplanes hammered neighbourhoods in Idlib city and several other towns, like Darat Izza, Atareb, Sarmin, Binnish, and Taftanaz, leaving them almost empty as residents fled.
However, the opposition factions’ ‘Military Operations Command’ which included HTS, the Syrian National Army (SNA) and other factions, succeeded in swiftly wresting control of strategic Syrian cities and locations, as regime forces largely either fled or refused to fight.
Rawan Shawaf is staying with a relative in a camp in northern Syria after her home in Idlib was bombed and destroyed.
“We fled the bombing and didn’t have time to take anything with us. We just picked up our children and ran,” she says.
“Despite our joy at the victory, we now have no home to shelter us. It appears our displacement isn’t over, and the brutal shelling by the former regime means many won’t be able to return to their homes, which have been destroyed.”
While Rawan’s family narrowly escaped death after their home was targeted, Feryal Roumi’s baby son lost his life due to the shutdown of ventilators at the Ibn Sina Hospital in Idlib following a Russian airstrike.
Three other hospitals in the city were also hit, including Idlib’s University Hospital, National Hospital, and Maternity Hospital, rendering all three out of service.
“How can I ever forgive the Assad regime for all the horrors that I and others have suffered at its hands?”
Feryal was unable to save her son’s life because she couldn’t get him to another hospital equipped with ventilators and incubators in time, which saw his health deteriorate fast and tragically led to his death due to respiratory failure.
“The city is almost paralysed, the streets are empty, the situation is catastrophic, and rubble is everywhere,” she said. “How can I ever forgive the Assad regime for all the horrors that I and others have suffered at its hands?”
Moreover, thousands of displaced families still face dire conditions, continuing to suffer and left without basic services, food, medicine, and healthcare.
Khaled Saab, who fled his home in Aleppo city, recalled the day the factions entered Aleppo.
“The shells started pouring down on the city from the moment the opposition factions entered. Fleeing was our only option, even though they [the opposition factions] stressed the importance of not leaving our homes.”
However, Khaled’s experience of the regime’s ruthless bombardment of areas which fell out of its control led him to flee.
“I spent my life building my home in Aleppo, only to find myself today without a home or safety, with the cold gnawing at my bones after my house was bombed and destroyed.”
He adds that Syrians don’t need “pity,” they need “solutions that will ease their lives and end their suffering.”
Even after the regime forces complete withdrawal from these towns and cities, they have been left in ruins. Landmines and unexploded ordinance litter the derelict streets – threatening death or injury to anyone who tries to return.
Meanwhile, the majority of the displaced continue to live in extreme poverty, with no prospect of work and few if any sources of income, making it difficult to envisage rebuilding destroyed homes and infrastructure – all these factors will prevent people from returning until they are dealt with.
Ayham Jabr, a member of the humanitarian organisation Volunteer Future Team which operates in northwest Syria said despite the widespread sense of joy, the displaced still face huge challenges in light of the cold weather and the lack of food, medicine, heating materials and shelter.
“What the displaced need is a safe environment so they can return to their regions and homes”
He pointed out that the health situation is extremely worrying, especially concerning psychological care and emergency treatment. He adds that children are the most drastically affected and that with roads leading to some camps destroyed, it has become very difficult to deliver aid in many cases. Women also face myriad challenges due to the lack of privacy and safety.
“We provide emergency aid, but this isn’t a real solution. What the displaced need is a safe environment so they can return to their regions and homes. The current aid cannot compensate for their lost lives,” Ayham said.Â
He calls on the international community to stand in solidarity with Syria’s displaced civilians and extend assistance to help them rebuild new lives after years of displacement, adding that there should also be support to establish avenues to restore their rights and property and reconstruction and emergency psychological care need funding.
Political analyst Ahmed Ali also emphasises the importance of Syria’s reconstruction, “There must be a focus on rebuilding infrastructure, and activating the role of transitional justice will be a key pillar for stabilising the overall situation and holding those involved in the bloodshed of the Syrian people accountable through fair trials, without revenge or a descent into chaos.”
He explained, “Without genuine transitional justice, Syrians won’t be able to move beyond the past. We must see real accountability for those who have tormented the Syrian people. The fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime isn’t just the end of a political era, but a turning point in the history of a people who have lived for decades under oppression and tyranny.”
Behind the jubilant scenes, he adds, “There are bitter stories which the Syrians have lived through, and unforgettable memories of oppression, arbitrary arrests, and torture as tools used to silence the people over many decades.”
Hadia Al Mansour is a freelance journalist from Syria who has written for Asharq Al-Awsat, Al-Monitor, SyriaUntold, and Rising for Freedom Magazine
Article translated from Arabic by Rose Chacko
