A tale of two Syrians: One finally made it back, another is too fearful to return

Ahmad Morjan hugged his mother for the first time in more than 13 years when he returned to Aleppo. Others who fled the Assad regime are unsure if it is safe to go back.

Ahmad Morjan was desperate to hug his mother for the first time in more than 13 years but, when he reached the door of his childhood home, he found her head to the ground, kneeling in prayer. Morjan immediately dropped to his knees too and cried “Oh God!” in gratitude for a reunion he believed might never happen. For a moment, the two remained prostrated before finally embracing and weeping with joy. The poignant moment, shared on social media, is one of countless homecomings seen across Syria in the wake of its sudden liberation from the Assad dynasty’s rule. A trickle of those forced out of the country by the conflict are returning to what remains of the lives they lived before they fled. Syria’s 13-year civil war forced 6 million people to become refugees and saw 7 million become internally displaced, according to the United Nations. Of those who fled the country, one million are expected to return in the first six months of 2025, the UN’s refugee agency said Tuesday, as it appealed for donors to help support their humanitarian needs.