Kafr Nouran, Syria – Sabiha used to live with her six grandchildren in a house surrounded by fields, in the village of Kafr Nouran, 35 kilometres west of Aleppo City. In this peaceful village, she built her life and family day by day – until one winter morning changed everything.
“It was snowing when we had to leave the house at three in the morning,” Sabiha says, her voice shaking at the memory. “I was so scared for the children because of the bombing. All I could do was wake them up and get them out of bed to take them away from the danger.”
Thus began her journey of displacement and into the unknown.
For years, Kafr Nouran was on the frontlines, making it too dangerous and unliveable for Sabiha and thousands of others who fled their homes. “We didn’t know if the house was still standing or if we’d ever be able to go near it again,” she says, with both sadness and longing.
After six years of displacement, Sabiha returned to her village and pitched a tent beside the rubble of her former home, surrounded by memories and dust. Photo: IOM 2025/Enver Muhammed
Sabiha eventually settled in a camp along the Syrian-Turkish border. Taking care of her six grandchildren, whose parents unfortunately perished from the bombing, she took on the role of caregiver, trying to rebuild a sense of family amidst loss. Surrounded by cold and fear, she put on a brave face each day.
The tent her family lived in didn’t protect them from the wind, didn’t keep the children warm, and offered no privacy. "We just had to adapt and survive, because staying under the bombs was not an option."
Six years passed before she finally got a chance to return, with the fall of the previous regime sparking hope for many Syrians that their country was entering a new dawn. But the house was nowhere near like she had left it. A significant part of it was destroyed; the walls cracked, the kitchen turned into rubble covered with garbage and burn marks, and most of the fittings, such as taps and plumbing, stolen.
Despite this, when her husband returned for a first inspection, he kissed the broken walls and thanked God for bringing them back. Sabiha packed up what was left of her tent from the camp and set it up beside the ruins of her house. For her, just being back was a victory, even if the house was not liveable.
“I won’t leave again,” she declares firmly.
She knew that starting over wouldn’t be easy, but the thought of giving up never crossed her mind.
IOM and partners speak with Sabiha during a monitoring visit to her restored home. Photo: IOM 2025
In early 2025, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the International Humanitarian Relief Association (IYD) initiated a project to repair damaged homes in Kafr Nouran, with the aim of helping displaced families return to their homes and rebuild their lives in safety and dignity.
“We felt hopeful as soon as we heard the news,” Sabiha recalls with a smile. “When we found out that our house was accepted into the project, it felt like life was coming back to us.”
In places like Kafr Nouran where homes were reduced to ruins, the project’s focus was to restore liveable spaces and give families the foundation to start again.
“Supporting families like Sabiha’s goes beyond rebuilding walls. It’s about helping people reclaim a sense of safety and dignity,” explains Jiyan Şahin of IOM’s shelter team.
“Our lives have improved a lot. Now we have a home with windows and a bathroom that gives us privacy,” Sabiha says. “There is big difference between our house now and how it was before. Now that we have a proper house, we can start rebuilding our lives.”
Sabiha hangs kitchen pots in her repaired kitchen, a simple task that now feels like a blessing. Photos: IOM 2025/Enver Muhammed
Sabiha’s granddaughter walks into the kitchen. For her, it’s a place of safety and privacy. Photos: IOM 2025/Enver Muhammed
As Syria begins to recover from 14 years of war, Sabiha – like millions of others – still faces daily struggles. She and her husband need to raise their grandchildren, but they can only occasionally find work in nearby fields and rely mostly on humanitarian aid.
Despite this, she holds onto hope for a better future. Her greatest wish is for her grandchildren to grow up in a peaceful Syria and have the future their parents were denied.
For the first time in years, Sabiha sees new possibilities for her family’s future. For the first time in years, she has a safe place to call home.
IOM and IYD rehabilitated 456 homes in Kafr Nouran, Aleppo, with funding from the Government of Kuwait.
Written by Enver Muhammed, IOM Communications Specialist with IOM Türkiye.
