The green shoots of normal life return to northern Syria

The earth-shaking thuds of the bombs have largely subsided. “The difference now is that there is more security and safety, and we can make a better life for the babies.” In Syria’s war-ravaged, rebel-held northwest, life is still largely miserable. Because people from all over the country have begun to settle there, others have another nickname for it: “Little Syria.” open image in gallery A road paving project near the market place in central Idlib city Ahmed Firas al-Lush, a member of the Idlib city council as well as a professor of chemical engineering at the University of Idlib, agrees to meet between classes, at one point apologising profusely that he had to leave because his students were waiting for him. open image in gallery there is even an ersatz “KFC” serving up fried chicken with little regard for western trademark laws Syrians are uncomfortable with the degree of Turkey’s influence. open image in gallery The ceasfire is helping Syrian’s rebuild but there is always fear of bombs “Entire families, some who have fled from one corner of Syria to the other over the course of the past decade, are tragically finding that bombs are part of their everyday life,” the then United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, warned at the time.