Damascus, SANA- Scores of families have begun streaming back to the war-battered al-Qadam neighborhood in Damascus to check on their properties as the first step of implementing a national reconciliation agreement there.
Speaking to SANA correspondent to al-Qadam neighborhood, the locals expressed relief over their return to their neighborhood and houses, hoping that the agreement will be firmed up soon so as to allow the rest of the locals to return as soon as possible.
Nadia Moshli, who had lived for thirty years in her house in al-Joura quarter before she was forced out, expressed happiness that she will see her house again after three years she spent moving from one place to another.
“We want to see security and safety returning to al-Qadam and each place in Syria,” she told SANA.
Her wish has been seconded by Sabha al-Hassan, who experienced the bitterness of being away from home. ”This is much like Eid (feast)”, she said, her features bursting with joy.
Abu Hamza, a member of the National Reconciliation Committee, said that the positive approach shown by the relevant authorities has helped build bridges among the Syrian people.
Meanwhile, workshops have continued opening roads and removing the debris for rehabilitating infrastructure and returning basics services to the neighborhood.
Maintenance director in Damascus countryside Mohammad Adel al-Azhar said that the debris and checkpoints have been eliminated and the main roads cleaned up.
300 food baskets offered by the Syrian army have entered the neighborhood that Damascus volunteers’ team distributed among 250 families which entered the neighborhood.
Merzat Abboud, deputy general supervisor of the team, said that efforts are underway to prepare data to reveal the number of locals who failed to return and helping them do so.
Manal Ismael