SYRIA: Remembering Aleppo City

Aleppo December 2016:  Unforgettable !!!   Nothing can heal my grief to watch the blood and tears of these helpless little angels.  

Aleppo December 2016 and Aleppo today.

As the war nearly ends, 500,000 killed, 5.1 million refugees outside Syria and 6.3 homeless within Syria. Population of Aleppo city was 4.6 million, the largest city in Syria before the war and the country's industrial powerhouse. Between 2012 to 2016, it's impossible to confirm how many civilians were killed and forced to flee the city. We only know that thousands died and fled, many left Syria. Out of 5 million civilians who fled Syria, 70,000 had returned until 2017, most of them to Aleppo. Some more reportedly returned in 2018.

Scores of factories and businesses in Aleppo city were taken over by terrorist groups who stole everything. Though government forces retook Aleppo nearly 2 years ago, the city is still in ruins. Reconstruction is going on tirelessly with shop owners clearing the rubble, professional craftsmen reconstructing those lovely historical ornate wooden windows and balconies. Workers are toiling all day to reconstruct and repair the Aleppo Mosque.

Not all civilians want to return though, for fear of reprisals; those who supported Syrian fighters against the government have left negative impressions as Syrian fighters joined hordes of AlQaeda terrorists. But refugees abroad who were neutral and apolitical during the war are eager to come home. Apart from missing Syria, the government's recent decision of seizing homes not claimed for a year has been very worrisome for them. Many opine this law is meant to punish those who opposed the government. But the government says it's necessary for rebuilding and preventing fraudulent claims.

It might be easy to presume it's now a new life and a new beginning for those returning to Aleppo. But reality is different, anything but easy to handle. It's no time to rejoice. The battle for Aleppo cost thousands of lives, ruined and traumatized the lives of thousands. Terrorist onslaught was brutal and government bombings were widespread, often botched. Civilians were sandwiched between the two. It would be much too unfair to forget the suffering of those commoners who experienced the excruciating pain of this battle. Time won't heal it, except that I just hope this NEVER happens again 

Irish Examiner

    Though I must say I don't agree with everything mentioned by Irish Examiner.