When the war in Syria began in 2011, Dr Khaldoun al-Mallah decided to stay in Yarmouk. For years he continued to care for his neighbours whilst this Palestinian refugee camp on the outskirts of Damascus emptied, its infrastructure collapsed and violence transformed the streets where he had grown up. He witnessed the siege imposed by the Syrian regime, the shortages of food and medicine, the arrival of Islamic State and the gradual destruction of one of the most iconic places in the Palestinian diaspora. Eventually, he had to leave with the last of the evacuees in 2018.

In this account, written following his return to Yarmouk after the fall of Al-Assad in December 2024, Khaldoun recalls those years from the perspective of someone who remained there for much of the war. His narrative reconstructs daily life under the siege, the impossible decisions faced by those who stayed behind, and the mark the conflict has left on Yarmouk and its inhabitants. A personal memoir of a place that is now trying to rebuild itself amidst the ruins.

This piece, produced and directed by the Sonda Internacional team, has been made possible thanks to the support of our members and their donations. If you like what we do, you can easily make a donation via this link.

Director: Pablo Tosco | Producer: Santi Palacios  | Second Camera and Interviewer: Vania Turner | A Sonda Internacional production