Doctor Mehdi Davut smiles as he describes his planned return to his homeland Syria for the first time in eight years to see how his aid association can help in Aleppo, a major city seized by rebels last week.

Assad’s favor after a Russian blitzkrieg on Aleppo helped him regain control over the country’s second biggest city.

The fall of Syria's second city, Aleppo, to Islamist-led rebels has brought flight and displacement for some, but for others like Bahria Bakkur, it has led to long-awaited reunions.The Islamist-led rebels' lightning assault on Aleppo has revived a war that had been mostly dormant for years.