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Arsal Camp Becomes Marketplace as Refugees Offload Ahead of Displacement to Idleb

Displaced Syrians based in Lebanon's border camps must leave for opposition-controlled Idleb under a resettlement agreement between HTS and Hezbollah
Arsal Camp Becomes Marketplace as Refugees Offload Ahead of Displacement to Idleb

The Syrian refugees which are preparing to leave refugee camps in Lebanon’s Arsal for Idleb province have begun selling their possessions, including refrigerators, washing machines, cars and even birds, in an impromptu market ahead of their departure.

Abou Abdo al-Shehadeh, a refugee from Al-Qusayr, bought a used motorcycle he now uses to travel between his work as a carpenter and pouring concrete.

The man says he bought the bike for $50 from a young man who decided to leave for rebel-held Idleb following an agreement between Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and Hezbollah.

Abou Abdo says the market is not located in any one specific place, explaining that residents may conduct spontaneous sales inside the yards of the camps.

Another man, Abou Mahmoud Bakkar, from the town of Kafraya in rural Homs, explained he bought a television, washing machine and a gas canister for less than $100.

Prices of all items in the ‘Idleb Market’ are no more than a quarter of their regular value. Residents chose the name as it relates to the destination of deportation, which will affect around 6,000 Syrian refugees from the camps of Arsal.

This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.

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