Ahmed Yahia Dabbas made the difficult decision to return to Syria after fleeing to Lebanon over a decade prior to escape the relentless bombing by Syrian government forces and their Russian allies. Settling in the southern suburbs of Beirut, he began rebuilding his life, involving himself in work as a doorman and raising a family with his wife, welcoming four children aged between four and nine. However, the family’s hopes for safety were shattered when Israeli bombardments started targeting southern Beirut, leading them to lose their home and prompting their return to Syria.

Dabbas shared his experiences during a phone interview from northwest Syria, detailing the family's grueling five-day trek from Lebanon as they navigated a series of checkpoints controlled by various factions of the Assad regime. They faced demands for bribes to pass through these checkpoints, enduring a tumultuous journey that saw them wait in a hazardous "no man's land" before finally entering non-regime areas. Throughout this harrowing ordeal, the family encountered physical abuse and food deprivation, reflecting the risks faced by many as they sought refuge from the ongoing conflicts.

Once they reached the rebel-controlled northern Idlib province on October 4, the Dabbas family's struggles were far from over. They found themselves in a cramped living situation with other displaced relatives while attempting to navigate the dangers posed by the Assad regime's bombardments, Russian attacks, and Iranian-backed forces. Despite the sheer relief of returning home and being reunited with relatives, Dabbas expressed that security remains elusive, with constant threats of violence undermining their sense of safety.

The humanitarian situation in northwest Syria has notably deteriorated, with millions living in dire conditions exacerbated by ongoing military actions targeting civilian population centers. The U.N. refugee agency has highlighted a substantial influx of individuals crossing from Lebanon to Syria, as many fear the repercussions of being in regime-held territories. Activists like Mouaz Moustafa and Ismail Alabdullah stress that civilian lives are in jeopardy as the Assad regime resorts to using drones for attacks on residential areas, leaving many families terrified and in need of international support to halt the ongoing violence and alleviate their suffering.