QAMISHLI, Syria — Hassan Taher, a Kurdish academic who works at a grain company, breathes heavily while telling Al-Monitor about the living situation of citizens in Qamishli.

“This year [2019] has been full of sorrow and tragedies. Our areas have been plagued with killings, homelessness and missiles. Many families have been displaced or have lost their shelters. My daughter, her husband and children were our neighbors. Due to the war, they left for Kurdistan. I miss my grandchildren Asha and Mohammad a lot,” says Taher.

He adds, “It has been a year of poverty and deprivation. Every house has members displaced or sick, a deceased person or tells a sad story. Spinsterhood has soared due to the displacement of youths or their refraining from marriage. The financial situation is tough, as thousands of agricultural hectares (acres) have been burned and financial resources are scarce.”

“All this has affected people’s morale and conduct with each other. The situation killed our ambitions. People’s displacement from Serekaniye, Afrin and Kari Sapi and the threats to Kurds have prevented us from being happy. Joy has no place in our hearts, as long as children’s cries fill refugee camps. We must not give up and we must find a ray of hope, but our strength has been drained,” Taher says.