by Hummam Sheikh Ali

DAMASCUS, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- With mixed feelings of happiness and sadness, Jamal Hammad entered the war-ravaged Yarmouk Camp for Palestinian refugees, south of Damascus, to start a journey of returning to his old life that was scarred by the prolonged war in Syria.

The 58-year-old humanitarian worker was among the first to enter the Yarmouk Camp. He climbed over the rubble and debris to reach his house, overwhelmed by the happiness of return, as well as sadness and anger about the destruction that has befallen his world.

The Yarmouk Camp has symbolic importance for the Palestinian refugees in Syria as they call it the capital of their diaspora. Most of the Palestinian refugees in Damascus lived in the Yarmouk Camp and went through a lot of pain when leaving it during the war.

The government has recently allowed the entry of people to that sprawling area that was cleared of rebels in 2018 but remained a closed military zone until recently.

People now can enter to check on their homes and fix them. Those whose houses are intact can immediately reside, as around 500 families currently live there.

For Hammad, his house is one of the many places in the camp that needs restoration.

The man left his house in 2015, almost three years after the rebels entered that area. He said he was like a guider for the people who remained in the camp, providing them with advice and organizing activities that were also part of his humanitarian job at the Palestinian Red Crescent.

However, he decided to leave the area under the gunshots and sniper shots in search of safety along with his family.

He lived in a safe area in the countryside of Damascus, while dreaming of returning to the camp home every day.

Speaking to Xinhua about his feelings when he first saw his house after entering the camp, Hammad said the day he entered the area with many of his neighbors was like a "day of resurrection" as if life were brought back by the people who entered that area that looks like a ghost town.

"I was among the first people to enter the Yarmouk Camp, which was nearly destroyed. At first, I couldn't enter this lane because of the debris and rubble so we had to climb over to reach our homes," he said.

After entering the camp, Hammad started processing the approvals he needed to bring in tools and materials to start repairing his house, which is located in a building that is still standing in that area.

He said he needs six months to finish the restoration, hoping that the government accelerates the procedures to rehabilitate the infrastructure.

"The government promised to rehabilitate the infrastructure of electricity, water, sanitation and phone lines," Hammad said.

Outside the lane where Hammad's house is located, the camp looked largely damaged but people kept entering the area to fix what could be fixed of their damaged lives.

Hammad described his neighborhood inside the camp as full of life ahead of the war, while the camp was turned into a "ghost town" where the barking of dogs and crowing of cocks are all that could be heard echoing in the distance.

As he spends most of his day supervising workers at his house, he spends some free time chatting with his neighbors. However, when night falls, the sound of wind in the empty places makes him feel lost.

"We hope that the sounds of children and people will bring the life back to Yarmouk Camp," he said. Enditem

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