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RAQQA, Syria SDF forces in northeastern Syria have blocked dozens of displaced families from returning to their homes in the western countryside of Deir Ezzor, citing security concerns in the area, according to local sources and humanitarian monitors.
Roughly 50 families, who had been living in the informal Tal al-Bi’ah camp east of Raqqa, attempted to leave earlier this week in trucks headed toward their home villages. However, checkpoints manned by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) turned them back, forcing them to return to the camp, according to DeirEzzor24, a local news network.
“These families fled the area during the rule of the previous regime and have been trying to return since its collapse,” said Yasser al-Wadi, a local resident. “But they’ve been prevented from leaving.”
The SDF, a U.S.-backed coalition dominated by Kurdish fighters, reportedly justified the move by claiming that the families’ areas of origin remain unsafe. Human rights observers say this kind of restriction raises broader questions about freedom of movement for displaced populations in the region.
Conditions in Tal al-Bi’ah and other nearby camps, such as Hazimah north of Raqqa, have sharply deteriorated in recent months. Residents and aid groups report severe shortages of food, medical care, and basic infrastructure, following a widespread suspension of humanitarian support after the collapse of the previous governing authorities.
Tens of thousands of Syrians remain internally displaced more than a decade into the country’s conflict, often trapped between shifting front lines and political rivalries that hinder their ability to return home.











