Syrians breathe free but millions remain displaced

There was a breath of fresh air in Syria as a newly liberated population ushered in the New Year with celebrations in downtown Damascus.

This was the first new year’s celebration in 50 years without a member of the Assad family in power.

But as the country gradually comes to grips with a new post-Assad reality, the situation on the ground for many Syrians remains dreadful.

Syrian investigative journalist Mohammed Bassiki, founder of Siraj, an investigative reporting organisation, tells MaltaToday the situation is “catastrophic”, especially in the refugee camps.

“Millions of internally displaced Syrians remain in dire need of food and medical aid and many continue to live in refugee camps, particularly in northwestern Syria, which was a stronghold of armed opposition forces,” Bassiki says.

Mohammed Bassiki is a Syrian investigative journalist

He speaks to this newspaper at the turn of the year, just three weeks after the fall of the Assad regime at the hands of opposition forces led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.

He notes that the new transitional government has received support and messages of endorsement from various Arab countries, particularly the wealthy Gulf states. But of note is the pledge made by Ukraine, which is still trying to push back a three-year-old Russian invasion.

“Ukraine, a new ally of the government, has pledged 500 tonnes of wheat as humanitarian aid following the cessation of Russian supplies,” Bassiki says, adding Ukraine announced the resumption of diplomatic ties with Syria.

Russia was a key ally of Assad, propping up the regime with weapons and assistance. Russia also has two military bases in Syria, including a maritime base which gives it direct access to the Mediterranean.

Bassiki says the past few weeks have uncovered the magnitude of the atrocities perpetrated by the regime to suppress opposition and dissent.

“The collapse of the regime and Bashar al-Assad’s escape revealed horrifying cases of detainees in former regime-controlled prisons, especially the infamous Sednaya Prison and other Syrian intelligence facilities,” he says.

On the security front, he notes that the new Syrian government has begun restructuring internal security, appointing a new head of Syrian intelligence. Meanwhile, armed opposition forces are pursuing remnants of regime forces in remaining pockets along Syria’s coastal areas, which had been a recruitment base for regime fighters throughout the Syrian revolution.

There have been multiple calls from various quarters within Syria for the new government to be inclusive. The country is a complex tapestry of different religions and ethnicities.

“Concerns about the potential exclusion of Syria’s minority groups in the new regime have been continuously denied by the new administration’s leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa,” Bassiki says, noting that an inclusive Syrian government is a prerequisite for Western recognition and the eventual lifting of European and American sanctions.

But hope is being pinned on a what is being called a national dialogue conference that is expected to be held in the coming days. Bassiki says the conference will bring around 1,200 representatives from across Syria together to form a committee responsible for managing the next phase.

“This may include the potential dissolution of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the suspension of the former parliament (People’s Assembly), and the suspension of the existing constitution,” he says.

As Syrians navigate the new waters ahead, there is hope that after 13 years of civil war a different country can be born; a country that for the first time in half century is able to breathe free even if the air is heavy with suffering.