Syrian refugees living in Zaatari, the world's largest refugee camp, are grappling with the difficult decision of whether to return to their homeland after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime. Fear of instability, destruction of homes, and lack of economic opportunities keep many refugees hesitant to return, even after 13 years of civil war.
Syrian refugees living in Zaatari, the world's largest refugee camp for Syrians, are hesitant to return to their country about a month and a half after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s rule. They fear the security situation might once again deteriorate after 13 years of civil war , and some say their homes have been destroyed while others lost their jobs and feel they have nothing to go back to.
\Opened in 2012, Zaatari began as a collection of tents in an arid landscape but grew into a town of prefabricated homes equipped with electricity, water, health services, and schools. On a street named the Champs-Elysees, 60-year-old shop owner Yousef Hariri told AFP he wanted to stay in Zaatari with his family, where they feel safe. 'I can't go back,' said Hariri. 'That would mean losing everything and selling the shop would be hard.' The situation in Syria is not good at the moment and it is not clear what will happen. Prices are through the roof and there are armed rebels. Our houses are destroyed.' \ Khaled al-Zoabi, 72, who has lived in the camp since 2012, voiced similar concerns, citing the destruction wrought by the war. 'Where are we going to go back to?' he asked. 'The refugees' finances aren't good enough for anyone to return, and no one knows what will happen in Syria.' He added, 'We fled the injustice and tyranny of Assad’s gangs in Syria, where human life had no value. Here, I feel I am a human being, and I prefer to stay.' Radwan al-Hariri, a 54-year-old father of three, said his contacts in Syria had all advised him to stay put. An imam at a mosque, the grandfather of 12 children all born in Zaatari said that in Syria, 'no one helps you and there is no work.' \While some refugees, like Mariam Masalmeh, are eager to return to their families, many remain deeply uncertain about their future in a war-torn country. The UN says around 680,000 Syrians were registered in Jordan from 2011 onwards, though the kingdom says it welcomed 1.3 million. According to the Jordanian authorities, 52,000 Syrians have returned home through the Jaber border crossing since Assad’s overthrow. But UN spokesperson Roland Schoenbauer cautions, 'Insecurity remains a concern. There is still a lot of instability, armed clashes in some parts of the country and an increasing number of civilian casualties due to remnants of war and unexploded ordnance.' 'Every refugee has the right to return to their homeland,' Schoenbauer added, 'However, when it is the right time to voluntarily cross into Syria will have to remain their decision.'
Syrian Refugees Zaatari Refugee Camp Bashar Al-Assad Civil War Return To Syria Jordan UN Refugee Agency
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