News Center — As 2025 comes to an end and a new year begins, the hopes of residents of al-Ashrafiya and Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhoods in Aleppo are renewed that peace and safety will prevail in Syria and that the siege imposed on the two neighborhoods will end. Meanwhile, women in Deir ez-Zor Canton in North and East Syria wished that “our country may flourish once again.”

“We Have the Right to Live in Peace and Security”

For more than a year, jihadists and mercenaries of the Turkish occupation have committed the most heinous massacres and violations against the Syrian people. The al-Ashrafiya and Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhoods in Aleppo have been, and continue to be, victims of siege policies to this day.

Zilan Mohammed, a woman from Sheikh Maqsoud, hopes that the siege imposed on them will end in the new year. She said:
“At the end of every year, people around the world welcome the new year with joy and happiness—completely unlike us. After the fall of the Baath regime, we thought security would finally prevail across Syria. However, after jihadists from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham took control of power, they imposed their rule on the Syrian people and committed massacres against various Syrian components.”

She pointed out that the siege includes preventing the entry of basic necessities such as food and medical supplies, in addition to banning the entry of diesel fuel into the two neighborhoods:
“There are many children here who need heating, milk, and basic necessities, but the authorities use these methods to pressure the Syrian people and increase their suffering. We have the right to live in peace and security, away from wars and conflicts.”

Hanaa Suleiman also noted that “with the arrival of the new year, our joy is incomplete due to the siege and the attacks carried out by jihadists of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham on our neighborhood, in addition to the violations committed against us and against the Syrian people in general, across all its components.”

She explained that the jihadists prevent the entry of even the simplest human necessities, but added:
“Our hope does not end that a peace agreement will be reached, and that the Syrian people—regardless of their sect or religion—will live with love, stability, and security, and that the new year will be one of goodness and happiness for all Syrians.”

For her part, Rokan Hamo said that “after the fall of the Baath regime, the Syrian people of all components were subjected to the most horrific violations.” She explained that the siege imposed on the two neighborhoods is nothing more than a pressure tactic against unarmed civilians to increase their suffering. The two neighborhoods include various components—Kurds, Arabs, and Turkmen—and all are harmed by the siege and the violations imposed on them.

She expressed her hope that the new year will bring goodness, peace, and security to Syria and its people, and that the coming year will be free of war, siege, attacks, and even foreign interference in Syrian affairs:
“Syrians are exhausted from wars and crises. It is time for peace to prevail in Syria.”

Hopes for Relief and a Dignified Life

A year has passed with all its weight and burdens, while hearts remain attached to the hope of relief. This is how 2025 passed for the women of Deir ez-Zor, who did not forget its hardships and the challenges their lives endured.

Hadiya al-Khader expressed her hope that the new year will bring an improvement in living conditions after a year she described as the most difficult:
“We wish peace for the Syrian people. The past year was very harsh for us; we suffered greatly, and it was a dark year for many people.”

She compared the past with the present, saying:
“Life used to be better, but now it has become a heavy burden on us. Nevertheless, we do not lose hope. We wish for health and well-being in the new year, for our country to flourish again, for its flowers to bloom, and for kindness to prevail among people.”

Despite the harsh reality, Syrian women continue to hold on to hope and believe that what lies ahead may bring long-awaited goodness. Between prayer and patience, wishes are renewed with every new year. The dream of the people remains the same: a safe homeland, a dignified life, and a better tomorrow. Amid all the challenges, hope remains the most prominent headline.