Civilians who sought shelter in the northwestern opposition bastion Idlib region after being displaced by Assad regime attacks in Syria will welcome the holy month of Ramadan away from home for the 12th time this year due to the civil war.

With the cease-fire signed between Turkey and Russia in March 2020, people in the region are now living relatively stable lives but they are once again entering Ramadan with financial impossibilities.

The homesick victims of the civil war, which has left its 11th year behind, are preparing for Ramadan under difficult conditions like increasing food prices and unemployment.

Civilians who took shelter in camps in Idlib are waiting for help, at least to spend the month of Ramadan relatively comfortably.

Cemile um Ala, who was displaced three years ago after the intensified attacks by the Assad regime and took shelter in the Azraq camp in the north of Idlib, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that there is no job opportunity and that the families in the region are experiencing financial difficulties.

"I had a lot of property in the village. I always had money. I could eat whatever I wanted. Now we have nothing," the 64-year-old mother of six children said.

Stating that they had to flee because of the regime's attacks on the village of Maarrathirme in the south of Idlib, Um Ala said, "Ramadan here is not like Ramadan in the village. It is difficult to make a living here. Families cannot find a living. We do not have money to spend."

Fatima Omar, another displaced civilian, said: "Ramadan was more beautiful in our village. My brothers and sisters were close to me. We lived together. We were together during the holidays."

Pointing out that it is very difficult to make a living in the camp, Omar said, "Men and women living in the camp cannot find a job. Before the summer comes, the heat has started. We cannot sit in tents. We demand charities to provide us with briquette house support."

"Ramadan has come. Everything is very expensive. People can hardly buy one loaf of bread. God help the poor. I hope everyone who has been forcibly displaced will return to their homes," Omar said underlining the harsh living conditions.

Khalid Hamud also said that they lack basic services and necessities in the camp.

Expressing that life in the tent was difficult, Hamud said, "We had a house, water and electricity in the village. Everyone was making a living with the money they earned from their own fields. In the camp, we look at someone else's hand. The water and the bread are brought by different people."

Emphasizing that Ramadan is festive-like in the village, Ahmad al-Ahmad said that their tents are flooded during the winter months and they get very hot in the summer.

"We had property, we had to leave and migrate. Life is very difficult here. The bazaar is far away, we have no means to go. We can't protect ourselves from the rain and the heat in the tent."

The war left half a million people dead, mostly in attacks by the regime and its allies, including both Russian and Iranian forces, as well as a myriad of militia groups. On the other hand, Turkey has been the main backer of the opposition in the region and has been leading the humanitarian efforts for those who had to flee from the regime attacks.

Idlib falls within a de-escalation zone forged under an agreement between Turkey and Russia in March 2020. However, the Assad regime has consistently violated the cease-fire terms, launching frequent attacks inside the de-escalation zone.

Around 4 million people, at least half of them displaced, now live in a region of northwestern Syria that is the last enclave fighting Assad's rule despite years of deadly Russian-backed offensives.

Turkish aid agencies and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) continue to assist those in urgent need in northwestern Syria. Many Turkish NGOs and state agencies continue to provide vital humanitarian aid and conduct humanitarian efforts in the region, which hosts nearly 4 million people.

In line with its goal to rejuvenate the region, Turkey is also building briquette houses for Syrians in the northwestern Idlib province.