Jisr al-Shughour residents return amid fears of shelling resumption

Over the past few days, more than 70% of the residents of Jisr al-Shughour, west of Idlib, have returned to their city, according to the city council, where life is gradually returning. As the city is witnessing a relative calmness of the air and ground operations that were launched by the Syrian and Russian forces, which prompted civilians who had been displaced to the villages and camps of northern rural areas of Idlib governorate, in addition to the tragedies and hardship in securing their livelihood, to return to their houses despite the fears of renewed attacks on the city.

Ismail Hasnawi, the head of the local council in Jisr al-Shughour said that more than 70% of the city’s population have gradually returned after a difficult displacement journey.

“Markets witness a heavy turnout of people, although vital neighborhoods, markets and facilities are destroyed as a result of the recent military campaign”, he said.

The lack of services such as water, electricity, and hygiene, as well as the lack of job opportunities, all hindered some residents of Jisr al-Shughur to return. In addition the fears of the resumption of shelling on the city, according to the head of the local council.

Hasnawi noted that the council is cleaning, repairing and assisting the residents as much as possible. “The city council has done some services, such as removing rubble, servicing the city by cleaning works, and entering some aid from some organizations that have become active; we also conducted a census of the people to provide more services”.

He explained that the city needs a lot of services, “despite the gradual return of life to the city, it still lacks many services, and there is no pumping water in the city, which urges everyone to buy water from the mobile water tanks”, Hasnawi said.

Mohammed Rastmo,Rustem, a resident of Jisr al-Shughur described the situation in the city after his return, he said: “When the shelling stopped, we returned to Jisr al-Shughour after we fled to the northern countryside; now the markets are reopening and the situation is getting better”. He continued: “But services are poor in terms of water and hygiene, while lots of people did not return due to the lack of services and the lack of employment opportunities”.

Mahmmoud Shariqi, another resident of the city, said:

“Life is gradually returning to the city after the shelling in the past months transformed it into a devastated and empty city”.

Mahmmoud also pointed to the fears of the residents of any sudden shelling by the Syrian and Russian forces, he said: “Every time they stop shelling for a while, they resume the attacks again”.