If your hometown or city was destroyed and you were forced to flee, what would you miss the most? We asked that question of Syrians from the once-beautiful city of Homs. Their answers were simple, but deeply moving.
Homs has been known since the first peaceful protests as the capital of the Syrian revolution. Since 2011, many areas in and around the city have been besieged by government forces who have employed death, destruction, and violence just to keep protesters in check. The Syrian government managed recently to suppress opposition forces in the old city, while continuing with its siege on the remaining rebel areas. Imagine cities where no food, fuel, medicine or even people may enter or leave. Pair that with nearly uninterrupted shelling and you’ll have an idea of what a besieged area is like. Many of the residents of Homs are either internally displaced or refugees in other countries. We asked some Homsis what they miss the most about their city, this is what they shared:
