Local Syrian woman hopes recent events are beginning to end of death and suffering for her country

A local woman from Syria said in light of recent events in her home country she hopes this is the beginning to the end of the death and suffering.

Zein Al-Jundi has made Austin her home now for more than 35 years, a graduate of UT she built her life and opened her middle-eastern store "Arabic Bazaar" in North Austin so she could feel more connected to her culture. But going home to Syria is not an option for her and hasn't been for several years. “It nearly killed me about five years ago, I went to Lebanon, I was an hour away and I couldn't go home. I don't know if I will ever be able to go home before I die. It's a very difficult thought, very difficult thought,” she said even if she's able to go back she's scared of what she will or will not find, “I am so scared that I wouldn't be able to handle what Syria has become. All the things that I absolutely loved and were just truly wonderful, if any of it's there,” she said.

Syria has been the center of a deadly conflict now for years with the civilians like Al-Jundi's family and friends falling victim to death, destruction and suffering. Those who remain have been making a desperate plea for help.  “The Syrian people have been left feeling like nobody cares about them. Regardless of how bad it's gotten, the world has stayed silent, they feel abandoned,” she said.

In light of this week’s events she said chemical attacks are nothing new in Syria and innocent people have been dying for a long time. “Be it comes by a chemical attack, it comes onto through barrel bomb, a sniper's bullet, or a missile. Death is death, destruction is destruction.” With the response from President Trump's missile strike on a Syrian air base, while not everyone may agree with it, she is hoping it will bring some change. “I have a lot of doubt about the nobility of the motivation of what happened, however I am willing to give it the benefit of the doubt and wait to see if it's followed truly by some kind of plan that will actually give all of us hope that the war will end.” She said her country and people have suffered enough and she can only hope she lives to see the day she gets to go home.  “People going back home, the destruction stops, the killing stops, and hopefully we get back to a day that is much better for Syria and Syrian people

Al-Jundi said she is going to the middle-east next week to get supplies for her store. She will be making stops in Egypt and Turkey. She said hopefully one day, she will be able to add Syria back to that list.