Syria Conflict: Displaced people returning home find new challenges

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Europe

03:06

The threat from the Islamic State militant group may not yet be totally extinct in Syria, but many people, from areas which ISIL controlled, have been returning to their homes and trying to get their lives back together. However, some are now facing a shortage of food, medicine and shelter. Ma Ke has the story.

Most of the displaced people in the crisis were women and children. After years living in shelters and camps, they're in poor health. This small clinic in the city of Hama receives about 15 to 20 children cases of malnutrition every day.

MOTHER OF A PATIENT "My kid catches colds and coughs, and he is fragile and never gains enough weight. He suffers from malnutrition."

The clinic has been operating for nearly 18 months. About 20 doctors and nurses have treated hundreds of displaced people during this time. It's working well, though, so there's now a plan to have similar locally-run health-centres in other areas.

DR. SIHAM AL-MASRI UNHCR-SUPPORTED CLINIC "Examinations and medication are free. Those who require hospitalization will be transferred there, and hospitals, in general, are also free."

Over six million people fled their homes during the civil war. With them all coming home at once, many will find it difficult to feed themselves in the short-term.

HATEM AHMAD DAYR HAFIR RESIDENT "When the terrorists came, we fled. And the money we had was all spent. The UN came and gave us the donation."

Since the war broke out in 2011, UN member states have donated millions of dollars worth of food to Syria. But these donations cannot continue forever. So the High Commissioner of Refugees has provided funds for local farmers to start again. This little bakery in the city of Dayr Hafir can churn out about 9,000 loaves of bread daily and at a low price.

FAISAL ABDULLAH FARMER "People now can work. The wheel of life is turning again."

To feed the body is one thing, to feed the mind is another. A seven-year war can cost a generation their best chance to learn. So the UN refugee agency is setting up daycare centers and temporary schools like this one near Aleppo.

NAJAH ALSHAWI SATELLITE COMMUNITY CENTER "This place is about assisting children who have a hard time doing homework. They have the patience but they need someone who can help them and stand by their side so they can really learn."

The center offers a 3-month rapid learning course for children who had to quit school during the conflict, so they can catch up on their school work.

NAEEMA ABDULGANI PRINCIPAL OF SALAH AL-DIN SCHOOL "The war has damaged a whole generation intellectually. We have an illiterate generation so we need a large number of schools to open. So the children can compensate for the time they have missed."

However, despite all the challenges, the Syrian people are determined to find their feet once again. Ma Ke, CGTN.