Feb 8 (V7N) — For Mehdi al-Shayesh, the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024 seemed like the long-awaited key to returning home. But instead of rebuilding his life, he found only ruins.

Shayesh, 40, had been displaced since 2012, living in the sprawling Atme camp in northwest Syria near the Turkish border. The moment the Assad regime fell, he rushed back to Hama province, expecting a joyous homecoming.

Instead, he was met with devastation.

"Our home used to be like a small paradise," he told AFP. "Now, after years of bombing and abandonment, it is no longer habitable."

The fall of Assad’s regime sparked a wave of hope among millions of displaced Syrians. But with entire neighborhoods flattened, infrastructure shattered, and basic services non-existent, many are stuck in limbo.

According to David Carden, the UN deputy regional humanitarian coordinator for Syria, more than 71,000 people have left refugee camps in the past two months, but over two million remain trapped.

"Many camp residents are unable to return as their homes are destroyed or lack electricity, running water, or other basic services," Carden said. "Many are also afraid of minefields left behind from former front lines."

The Atme camp, one of Syria’s largest, is a sea of makeshift shelters, housing tens of thousands. Smoke from fuel heaters fills the air as families huddle together, enduring sub-zero temperatures.

For Mariam Aanbari, 30, returning home is impossible.

"We all want to return," she said, "but there are no homes to return to."

Displaced from Hama province, Aanbari and her family have spent seven years in Atme. Her husband earns barely enough to buy bread and water.

"It was difficult with Bashar al-Assad," she said. "And it’s difficult now."

Syria’s transitional authorities are counting on international aid, particularly from Gulf nations, to kickstart reconstruction after nearly 14 years of war.

However, the rebuilding process has barely begun. With most of the population in poverty, many displaced families like Shayesh’s worry that returning home might take years—if not decades.

Shayesh, however, remains hopeful.

"Just as we held out hope that the regime would fall—thank God, it did—we hope the world will help us rebuild."

For now, like many others, he waits.

END/WD/RH/