Residents of Homs, Syria’s third-largest city, continue to live in war-torn buildings, bearing the scars of years of civil war. Once heavily targeted by Assad regime forces and Russian warplanes, the city remains marked by destroyed homes, schools, and mosques.

Despite the destruction, families endure with resilience. Children play amid the rubble, and many families, like the Meshadeni family of eight, live in bombed-out buildings without windows or basic necessities.

Abdullah Al Meshadeni recalled, “The planes were always above us. We were very scared.” Six-year-old Emin Al Muhammed said, “The war is over now. My mother said we will not die, and I am happy.”

Others like Nimet Al Haji expressed gratitude for surviving, saying, “Assad deprived us of everything. We don’t even have fuel, but we are still here. Thank God, Syria is now liberated.”

While the war’s violence has subsided, life in Homs remains a struggle for survival amid the ruins.

Umutcan İşledici – Göktürk Fırat – Ahmet Arslan