RELIGION-EID/LEBANON SYRIAN REFUGEES Syrians living in Lebanon long for home on Eid

Record ID: 146696

  • Title: RELIGION-EID/LEBANON SYRIAN REFUGEES Syrians living in Lebanon long for home on Eid
  • Date: 20th July 2015
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF THE CHILDREN SINGING
  • Embargoed: 4th August 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Lebanon
  • Country: Lebanon
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA4WFQGFM9Y92FJ9MTXJ4FG7ZBU
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Under the scorching sun in the makeshift unofficial camp for Syrian refugees in Lebanon's Bekaa valley, many refugees said they have one wish for this year's holiday, to return home.
    Friday (July 17) marked the beginning of Eid al-Fitr that follows the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan when Muslims fast from down to dusk.
    Many, like Roda al-Mazloum who fled Homs, said they could not even get in touch with those they had to leave behind to greet them on the festival.
    "This is us, this is our Eid of Syrians. Brothers, sisters, and mothers are far away. Who can't wish his mother a happy Eid in the morning? We - the Syrians - can't. We wake up with no mother to wish a happy Eid to, our mothers are far away, not even reachable through a phone (call). Sometimes, they (Syrian government) cut the internet as well so we can't reach our beloved ones at all. Honestly, the Eid became just a name, you don't feel its joy," Mazloum said.
    Um Mohammed, a mother of five from Yarmouk camp in Syria, tried to create an atmosphere of holiday season for the children.
    "We are trying to make our children and the children of our neighbours happy inside-out, but it is not really working. Today is a Eid day, but we are not so happy, we wish to go back to Syria, Lebanon is beautiful but we still wish to go back to Syria and back to the old usual Eid," she said.
    In the northern city of Tripoli, some children celebrated the festival with a joy ride on a swing.
    But adults said they could not wait for the conflict back home to end.
    "Thank God we are somehow living normally, just like everyone else. Thank God we have everything we need, but we wish, with God's will, for the situation to calm down in Syria and for everyone to go back to their hometowns,'' said Ibrahim Hasbani.
    "We wish the situation calms down and we go back to our country safe and sound. We want nothing but for wars to end and go back to our country. Arab people are one and Lebanese people are nice and generous, thank God," he said.
    The Syrian conflict has killed more than 220,000 people.
    Lebanon is home to 1.2 million of the 4 million refugees that have fled Syria's war to neighbouring countries.
    Lebanon, which allows informal settlements on land rented by refugees, says it can no longer cope with the influx from Syria's four-year conflict. One in four living in Lebanon is a refugee.
    The U.N. says the number of Syrian refugees in neighbouring countries is expected to reach 4.27 million by the end of the year.
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