ALEPPO, Syria — Abu Suleiman, from al-Maliha in eastern Ghouta's Rif Dimashq, is currently residing in the town of Kafr Nabl in the Idlib countryside. He works in a bakery that he opened with the help of a local resident and is able to support his family of five.

Abu Suleiman’s family came to Idlib with the fourth batch of the tens of thousands of internally displaced persons who left eastern Ghouta during March, escaping the siege by the Syrian regime imposed in 2012.

Abu Suleiman chose Kafr Nabl as a second home and was able to quickly adapt to his new surroundings and situation. He befriended the residents of Kafr Nabl, much like other people from eastern Ghouta who settled in the city. He wanted to work and managed to open his own bakery to make Damascene pastries with the financial support of a well-off Kafr Nabl resident.

Abu Suleiman told Al-Monitor, “We were part of the fourth batch of people to leave eastern Ghouta. My extended family is made up of 25 people. We got off in Kafr Nabl and we decided to settle here. It was necessary to find work to support our women and children, and with the help of a resident, we managed to rent a shop about a month ago for $150 a month. My friends and I have been baking Damascene pastries for a while, so we knew how to equip the shop so we can work effectively.”