In Syria’s Homs, UNHCR Syria Representative meets with returnees

On 17 September, UNHCR’s Representative for Syria, Sajjad Malik paid a field visit to UNHCR’s livelihood projects and restoration of infrastructure projects and met with internally displaced people who recently returned to their homes in Homs.

During the visit, Mr. Malik visited the historical damaged old souk of Homs, which was one day a space for 1,000 shops. Mr. Malik assessed the situation closely at the old souk, and met with shopkeepers at their damaged shops. Thoroughly, he listened to their needs, challenges and what are the actual means and tools to facilitate their return and enable them to restart their lives.

At the old Souk, Mr. Malik met with Tarek Safar, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)’s project coordinator and witnessed rehabilitation works implemented by UNDP in the old souk.

As part of its rehabilitation plan in old Homs, UNDP has recently installed doors for the shops and solar-led lightings in the souk. Now, the site is planned for a project by UNHCR of reviving and restoring the traditional occupations and crafts to benefit 40 returnees with their families making the living for around 200 individuals.

“Hope has motivated us to come back. Beforehand we had a phobia to even think to come here, but now with rehabilitation work, we are not afraid anymore”, said Badr AL-Ala’jamy, a 55-year-old shopkeeper who had no access to his shop for almost four years.

UNHC’s project in the old souk of Homs will focus on five traditional occupations: traditional heaters fabrication, copper utensils fabrication, light tin instrument fabrication, and Arabic Blacksmith. Where UNHCR is going to provide returnees with Raw Materials for Factories and traditional workshops.

He also paid a visit to livelihood project site for women heading households at Al-Karaj Al-Janouby in southern Homs, where 20 women and their families are benefiting from the project.
After that, he visited AL-Mreijeh street in Bab Alsibaa’ neighborhoud in the old city of Homs and witnessed closely the rehabilitation works to the damaged apartments carried out by UNHCR’s partner Child Care Society.

After that, he visited AL-Mreijeh street in Bab Alsibaa’ neighborhoud in the old city of Homs and witnessed closely the rehabilitation works to the damaged apartments carried out by UNHCR’s partner Child Care Society.

In Al-Mreijeh neighborhoud, Mr. Malik met with Samer, a father of four children. Samer returned to the neighborhoud after an enduring displacement trip to find his house burnt out but then again he was able to live in his house with the rehabilitation works carried out by UNHCR.

Samer’s children told Mr. Malik that they are studying for now but they have lost their connection with their friends who were living in the same neighborhood before the crisis,
“Shelters are not only about fixing a place for returnees to stay in, shelters are also a mean of protection that enables children to go back to their schools”, Malik said.

In Al-Naziheen and Adawyeh neighbourhoods which are newly opened areas for returnees, Mr. Malik met with people returning to houses after being rehabilitated through a joint restoration of basic infrastructure project with SARC that aims to facilitate returning of internally displaced people to their houses.