The rows of prefabricated shelters are home to some 18,000 people displaced by the offensive that drove rebels out of eastern Ghouta. On Saturday, the Syrian government announced the capture of Douma, the last rebel holdout in eastern Ghouta and the site of an alleged chemical attack that prompted a Western missile strike. HORJELLI, Syria—Thousands of Syrians displaced by the battle for the once-lush suburbs of Damascus now find themselves in a crowded settlement, where for the first time in recent memory they have enough to eat. Now the displaced are packing into housing units in which more than 20 people share two rooms, a bathroom and a kitchen. “We work about 18 hours a day, starting early in the morning,” said Ziad Ghazal, a 43-year-old volunteer who was displaced from eastern Ghouta.

Source: thestar April 15, 2018 21:33 UTC