O Abdel Alimi, the son of a retired teacher from the rebel stronghold of Sair, said: “Our parents never had money or any other material resources.”

As the conflict rages on, the city of Zabadani, near Damascus, has become one of the most important front lines in the conflict. In the past few years, it has been home to rebels with ties to Al Qaeda as well as more secular rebels fighting against President Bashar Al-Assad’s military.

Mr al-Zabadani said his family had fled to the Syrian border in January after receiving warnings from activists that their area was attacked by the government.

The war has devastated the city. Mr al-Zabadani said that three of his relatives and four friends had been killed by snipers while he was at work. Mr Assad’s forces have also targeted Zabadani in the past.

On Sunday, the UN human rights office said it was “appalled to learn” that Syrian forces had shot dead two civilians in Zabadani as they sheltered in a house recently taken by the rebels.

Ms Foad said the UN was calling for accountability as it “could not verify witness accounts” of the killings and the rebel leader said the bodies of the victims had been left beside a bridge.