Over the past two days, Yarmouk camp has seen fierce clashes and shelling. Despite these hard times and nearly two years of siege, people like Ahmad are trying to plant happiness in people’s hearts whenever they can.
“It can be so hard to keep playing music in times like this, but I don’t let a moment of happiness pass without playing my instrument. People need every moment of happiness they can steal from this siege.”
Mohammad, 24, has been living under siege for nearly two years. (ABOVE)
“You wouldn’t believe it, but exactly a half-hour ago my house was standing here. Now, this is all that left,” said Abu Ahmed after an air strike destroyed his home. Abu Ahmed, 33, has been living under siege since two years.
Abu Khaled, 45, has been making homemade desserts for ages. Although most ingredients are unavailable due to the siege, he tries to keep up the same quality as before the uprising. And he adds more sugar now, because he believes that in times like this people need sugar to sweeten the bitterness they are living. He has been living under siege since almost two years.
“Humans of Syria” asked her about her name and she had the sweetest answer ever.
“Haneen,” she said. “But everyone here calls me blue eyes.” She was asked if she had ever had her picture taken and she answered: “Never, this is my first time.” Haneen, 5, has been living under siege since two years.
“I was so scared for my little brother and sister the night the regime bombed us with chemical weapons. We were asleep when my dad woke us up and he and my mom carried us through the building and down the stairwell. They put us in the car and then drove like crazy to a far away place.
It was pitch black on the road and we could hear the screams of people from all around. I didn’t know exactly what was going on. My younger siblings were crying so loud. I’ll never forget that day for the rest of my life. Even though we returned to our house, I would always be worried for them.
But they’re not afraid at all! They keep playing in the neighbourhood even though it’s destroyed by the regime bombings, which has just stopped. Many of our neighbours died of suffocation from the chemical weapons while they were asleep in their beds. But my family and some other neighbourhood families survived. We’re still alive till now, and we’ll try to keep living and playing in our little neighbourhood no matter what.”
Ayman, 10, has been living under siege since two years.
In collaboration with Humans of Syria