A Futile War
My family and I had just finished lunch, and my husband and I were enjoying a pleasant evening together, sipping coffee and discussing the...
No Space for Anger in Our Lives
When I stormed out of my house on August 3, 2014, I was angry with my husband. We had argued about the meal I...
Escape Through the Back Door
Abdel Qader Badran Street is one of the main streets in Douma, and it is a focal point for raids by government forces. My...
A Stolen Biscuit
It was almost break time at the girls’ school I worked at in Douma. As I walked down the corridor, I heard a girl...
Fleeing From One Place to the Next
Every morning, I wake up, get dressed and go to school. I walk into a classroom of young children living in the shadow of...
Killed by the Bullet That Hit My Son
I only understood the true meaning of war when my son was killed. My life simply ended that day. All my dreams for him...
Surviving on Animal Fodder
Towards the beginning of the anti-government demonstrations in Syria, I had started gaining weight, and my mother and friends urged me to visit a...
Crawling Through Trenches
When Eastern Ghouta was liberated, we were overjoyed, yet not a day went by without us worrying. The regime retaliated for the loss of...
A Life for a Bag of Sweets
Towards the end of March 2015, my family and I left our house in Douma and moved to a farmhouse in al-Sheyfuniya, a settlement...
A Hard Life Cut Short in Syria
Qamar sat in the farmhouse where she now lived, having a cup of coffee with her cousin. Calmly, sorrowfully, she talked of the heartache...
Surviving Execution
My family and I became displaced on the dawn of June 13, 2012. We were forced to abandon our home in Douma, along with...
“Don’t Cry, I’m Alive”
My name is Hiba and I’m 23 years old. My family and I were among the last to leave Douma before the Free Syrian...
Dust, Blood and Death in a Children’s Playground
I felt the tremor before I heard the blast. A government plane had just fired a missile at my street. By the time the...
IWPR Women’s Blog Contributor Killed in Rocket Attack
Qamar al-Said, a contributor to IWPR’s Damascus Bureau project, was killed on November 19 when a rocket fired by the Assad government’s army landed...
Air Raids Just Routine in Besieged Syrian Town
Nothing seemed different about that particular morning in Douma. The cold night was over, and the sounds of artillery fire from government forces had...
Mother of Martyrs
My name is Walaa, but they call me “the mother of martyrs”. I am originally from Douma but now live in Eastern Ghouta which...
