As Families Return to Aleppo, an Unthinkable Challenge Awaits

More families are expected to return to eastern Aleppo in the coming days, according to a report from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The question is: what will they find? 

This is the scene that awaits many of them…

It is hard to take in the devastation.

It’s even harder to imagine coming home to it.

Yesterday’s UN report highlights two critical needs facing returning families right now—and it just so happens you’re already meeting them…

1. Repairing bombed-out homes

“Houses needs to be thoroughly assessed for infrastructural risks and stability,” according to the UN. Even after an area is cleared of debris and unexploded ordinance and buildings are checked for structural integrity, many homes are unfit to live in.

The needs are massive—but you’re giving families a start. We already had an assessment team in eastern Aleppo, to inspect homes and prioritize repairs for families ready to return. For each family we serve, we’’ll make at least one room in their home livable while they undertake the longer work of rebuilding.

We’re repairing walls, windows, and doors. We’re making sure families have functioning kitchens and toilets. The work of rebuilding eastern Aleppo will take months, if not years—but families shouldn’t have to wait that long for security, warmth, and dignity.

And thanks to you, they won’t have to.

2. Providing urgent medical care

Healthcare facilities in eastern Aleppo are “stretched beyond limits,” according to the UN. Those still operating have seen a 50% increase in demand in recent days.

Our expanded response for Aleppo includes 5 new ambulances and 5 mobile medical clinics—to treat wounded children, to provide prenatal care for pregnant women, and meet urgent medical needs in and around Aleppo.

You are meeting some of the most pressing needs in Aleppo, even before they’re widely reported. For many displaced families, you were among the first in. And your continued support will allow us to stay until they have what they need to rebuild their homes, their lives, and their future.


Please continue standing with Aleppo families. Your donation will help provide hot meals for displaced families, long-lasting food packs, medical care, and assistance for those returning to bombed-out homes.

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