Iraq News
Human Rights

Rural Damascus families feel the winter cold

By Waleed Abu al-Khair in Cairo

A boy from Qudsaya carries an armful of empty cardboard boxes to burn for heat during the winter. [Photo courtesy of Qudsaya Now Facebook page]

A boy from Qudsaya carries an armful of empty cardboard boxes to burn for heat during the winter. [Photo courtesy of Qudsaya Now Facebook page]

As another wartime winter sets in, residents of the mountain town of Qudsaya in rural Damascus tell Diyaruna they have been burning anything they can get their hands on to keep themselves warm.

Despite a recent agreement that saw the withdrawal of armed opposition factions from Qudsaya and the lifting of a regime-imposed siege, the town is still largely cut off from aid due to the ongoing conflict, they said.

On October 13th, armed opposition groups -- including extremist al-Nusra Front (ANF), now known as Fatah al-Sham Front -- withdrew from the town, which lies a mere five kilometres from Damascus.

In exchange, the Syrian regime lifted the siege it had been imposing on Qudsaya on and off for four years, most recently since July 2015.

But residents told Diyaruna they are still waiting for aid from humanitarian organisations, which are closely scrutinised and monitored by the regime.

Aid delivery issues

Aid organisations operating in the area must work through regime relief organisations and institutions such as the Syrian Red Crescent, said Qudsaya native Amal Saleh, using a pseudonym out of concern for her safety.

"Relief workers are constantly pressured and scrutinised, which caused many of them to refrain from coming to this area, with the exception of UN and international organisations," the former aid worker told Diyaruna.

These organisations have been able to deliver aid packages containing heating materials and food to thousands of local residents, she said, adding that even so, the situation is far from normal for many.

"Residents are on the brink of the abyss as there are no sources of income," Saleh said, noting that many farmers are still unable to access their fields.

Many government employees also lost their jobs after the war and siege prevented them from reaching Damascus and reporting to work, she added.

Burning waste to keep warm

The onset of winter has forced people to use "anything that burns to keep warm", said Mohammed Sadeq, an Arabic teacher who asked to use a pseudonym out of fear for his safety.

"The area is known for its very harsh climate due to its geographical location and elevation, which can reach 1,000 metres above sea level in some hilly areas, in addition to the snowfall," he told Diyaruna.

Before conditions deteriorated badly, everyone used fuel oil for heating purposes and to cope with the cold of winter, he said.

"However, due to the scarcity of fuel, especially fuel oil, and the increase in its price to insane levels, almost everyone has resorted to burning wood and all kinds of waste, as anything that burns generates heat," he said.

Conditions have not improved

Qudsaya resident and former postal worker Salim Younes, 45, told Diyaruna he has been unemployed for about two years.

He lost his job as he was unable to report to work in Damascus due to the prevailing security situation, he said.

"I had to provide daily sustenance for my two sons and wife, so I worked daily wage and maintenance jobs and took any work that earned me some money," he said. "However, the situation deteriorated further, so I worked in exchange for food or clothes for my children."

Even after the siege was lifted, services resumed and food and medicine were delivered to the town, things are still uncertain and progress is slow, he said.

"The people of Qudsaya are suffering greatly and paying the price for staying in the city," Younes said. "In the past, the city was under near total siege and coming under daily shelling that claimed the lives of a number of its residents."

After opposition fighters withdrew, everyone thought the situation would return to normal, or at least improve a little, he said, but that has not been the case.

Everything "must pass through the government and security institutions, which excessively delays the arrival of aid", he said.

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