STORY: Displaced Syrians cross Lebanese border to return home
SHOOTING DATE: Dec. 11, 2024
DATELINE: Dec. 13, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:18
LOCATION: Beirut
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Syrians returning homes
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): WALID SAWWAN, Displaced Syrian
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): IHAB SHARROUF, Displaced Syrian
4. SOUNDBITE 3 (Arabic): HANADI SEYMOUR, Employee of Sawa Group

STORYLINE:

Lebanon's Masnaa border crossing has seen an increasing number of displaced Syrians returning to their homeland, following the downfall of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): WALID SAWWAN, Displaced Syrian
"I have not been back to Syria for 13 years. It is an incredible feeling. I'm returning home to reunite with my relatives. It is impossible to describe the feeling."

SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): IHAB SHARROUF, Displaced Syrian
"I have been in Lebanon for 13 years because of the situation. Now I'm very happy to return home. I'm from Homs, and I'm returning there."

SOUNDBITE 3 (Arabic): HANADI SEYMOUR, Employee of Sawa Group
"I work for the Sawa Group. It's a humanitarian group. Currently, we are positioned at the Masnaa border crossing. In fact, since the beginning of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, we have been receiving people coming from Syria and those who are going back to Syria. We provide people with water. We prepare biscuits for children, special kits for women, and drugs for pregnant women. Some people lack food, which is very important during their journey back home. We also offer psychological support, especially for those children who are not accompanied by their parents."
   
Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Beirut.
(XHTV)