DEIR EZ-ZOR, Syria (North Press) – Along the road tracing the banks of the Euphrates River, Mohammed Hamdan al-Dhiab walked slowly toward his home in the village of al-Buaamer in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor, eastern Syria.
After spending years displaced in Damascus, he had long dreamed of the day he would return to the house he began repairing in 2018. But as soon as he reached the outskirts of the village, he stopped for a long moment, staring at a scene frozen in time: collapsed walls, pitch-dark streets, and almost non-existent services.
Al-Dhiab told North Press, “I was shocked… it felt as if the war had just ended.”
He is one of hundreds returning to the villages of al-Buaamer and al-Abd in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor, where residents are discovering that the journey home is not a return to normalcy, but to a reality even harsher than the one they left behind.
On the riverbanks, the village stands as a silent witness to a war that left destruction reaching up to 70 percent in some neighborhoods, amid paralyzed services and an environment unfit for living.
Water crisis
The issue of drinking water lies at the heart of this bleak reality. Al-Dhiab described the residents’ suffering, telling North Press, “We live in a destroyed village that lacks drinking water, and the water is extremely contaminated. Everyone buys water from filtration stations, and most people can’t afford to install or maintain filters.”
Many residents have been forced to bring filtered water from the town of al-Mayadin or central Deir ez-Zor due to the absence of any local alternative.
Ahmad Ali, another villager, added, “The drinking water tanks are completely out of service and destroyed. The contamination comes from the waste floating near the intake points where the water is drawn. We demand that the intake pipes be extended five meters deeper into the river to ensure cleaner water… the situation is unbearable.”
The crisis extends beyond drinking water and into irrigation. Al-Dhiab said, “Irrigation water is extremely poor and repeatedly cuts off due to constant malfunctions. Many farmlands no longer receive water,” further burdening local farmers.
Destroyed services and failing electricity
No water, no electricity, and no infrastructure. According to residents, al-Buaamer and al-Abd suffer from 70 percent destruction, including roads, lighting, and water and irrigation networks.
Ahmad Ali confirmed that electricity is nearly non-existent. “The electricity is terrible. The transformer is destroyed. We rely on a 50-kVA transformer in al-Islah village, but due to overloads, the main breaker constantly trips. We have to take turns checking it whenever the power goes out.”
Residents are appealing to international organizations for intervention before life becomes impossible.
The village has also been without a functioning bakery for 14 years. Musab Khalil al-Khamis, owner of a bakery, told North Press, “The bakery has been out of service since 2014. It was destroyed by regime warplanes. We struggle to secure bread, and there’s no way to rehabilitate the bakery.”
Residents must travel every morning at dawn to the village of Muhassan to buy bread, a hardship that worsens with the start of the school year.
“We leave at 05:00 AM to get bread. Many schoolchildren go without breakfast because bread isn’t available,” al-Khamis said.
Agriculture under threat
Agriculture, the primary livelihood for most residents, faces severe and growing challenges.
Hammadi al-Hais from al-Abd told North Press, “We are facing major difficulties in farming. We haven’t received payment for our wheat and cotton crops for nearly a year. People’s lives depend on that money. Farming requires workers, fertilizer, seeds, plowing… and farmers now simply can’t manage.”
He called for raising farmers’ voices and paying their dues, especially given the ongoing breakdowns in irrigation stations.
Returnees between shock and hope
Because of their proximity to Deir ez-Zor military airbase, al-Buaamer and al-Abd were heavily bombarded, leaving widespread destruction.
“Our town suffered greatly because of its closeness to the airbase,” al-Dhiab said. “I’m still living in Damascus, hoping to finish preparing my home so we can return permanently.”
Musab al-Khamis explained that 50 percent of the village’s infrastructure — including schools, electricity, and water systems — was destroyed.
He concluded, “We urge the relevant authorities to visit the village and see the reality of the bakery and the residents’ situation. Many returnees who came back from Turkey and the north were shocked by what they found… the situation is tragic.”