Rural Damascus: What comes after the fighting?
Conflict in Mouadamieh left vast destruction in its wake. Thousands were forced to flee and today the streets bear a physical reminder of the toll taken by urban conflict.CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Ali Yousef
Abu Imran, a father of eight, suffered tragic loss during the years of war. He lost a leg in the conflict. His brother and his brother’s wife went missing. Today, Abu Imran returns to Mouadamieh after living in displacement with his eight children - and his brother's three orphaned children. In a three-room apartment, the family of 13 lives in one room, sharing a kitchen and bathroom with two other families.CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Ali Yousef
Zeinab sends some of her children to school and struggles to meet the family’s needs by raising a cow she received from the ICRC. She sells milk to secure the family’s basic needs. Fortunately, Abu Imran’s family was fortunate to receive a precious gift: a new baby calf.CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Ali Yousef
At the age of 19, Mohamed lost his leg, but not his hope. Today he looks after five sheep provided by the ICRC. “Sheep are a wealth,” says Ahmed proudly.CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Ali Yousef
Mazen stands by the bus that was once his father’s source of income. His father drove this bus to provide for the whole family. Today, all that remains of it are memories - and a charred steel frame to mourn. It was bombed during the fighting.CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Ali Yousef
Mazen left his hometown of Mouadamieh during the years of fighting. He returned recently to live with his family in what is left of their house. He looks after a few sheep he received from the ICRC.CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Ali Yousef
Abu Maher seeks to make the best of the rural nature of his neighbourhood in Mouadamieh. He is planning to raise the sheep he received in winter to sell them in summer. He is yet to decide what he will do for a living after that, but for the time being he is happy he can support his family.CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Ali Yousef
Before the conflict, Mostafa worked as a mason. He left Mouadamieh with his wife, who lost her legs from a shelling. After the battle was over, Mostafa returned to Mouadamieh with his wife and two children, but with no work. Today, Mostafa is raising two heads of cattle provided by the ICRC to support his family.CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Ali Yousef
Years of fighting in the town of Mouadamieh in rural Damascus has finally come to an end, but life for many has changed irrevocably.
The ICRC is helping people get back on their feet in Mouadamieh by providing livestock and physical rehabilitation services.
It's never easy to start anew, but for the people of Mouadamieh, there's a sense of hope and a chance for a new beginning.
