Douma residents speak about life after long battle for town

Residents of Douma in the Eastern Ghouta shared their thoughts on how their lives changed after the Syrian Army liberated the city from militants, during interviews recorded on Thursday.

“We are happy now, and our faces know how to be happy,” shared a young resident of the city, adding that militants refused to share food with civilians, “now you can ask and get [what you want]. I just asked for bread and [the Syrian army] gave me bread and also a cucumber.”

People added that the militants didn’t allow people to walk on the streets freely, “we could not get out of our houses, now we can wander and no one would ask you where you are going to or coming from.”

Some add that “if you had been on the road you might have been arrested and taken, and your destination would have been unknown.”

People also recalled the enormous prices the militants imposed on goods, “My daughter did not suckle from her mother, she only had bottles. I swear that a can of milk was for 4,000 [liras] and [the militants] wouldn’t give you any, the health care center was kicking us out saying: “there is no milk.”

“Now we eat and there is surplus food and bread, we are smiling,” said the Douma citizen.

Earlier, the Syrian Army released a statement saying that the Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta has been completely liberated, adding that all members of armed groups had left the area.