Statement on Reconstruction
The Next Century Foundation wishes to draw attention to the ongoing refugee crisis in Syria. As a consequence of the civil war, there have been around 6 million internally displaced and 6 million refugees. To remedy displacement on this scale will require massive reconstruction of housing and infrastructure.
In Darayya, a suburb south of Damascus, many displaced have returned, but only 15 per cent of the buildings are still habitable. Without significant reconstruction support, most displaced people cannot return, and those who do will face substandard living conditions.
The violence earlier this year, including the mass killing of Alawites in the coastal area and Druze in Suwayda, has deepened fears of instability and shown minorities how unsafe life remains. Since November last year, more than 600 thousand people have been newly displaced across Syria.
We call on the international community—particularly the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the state of Qatar—to provide targeted funding for reconstruction and to play stronger roles in supporting Syria’s recovery.
We further urge the Government of Syria to allocate reconstructed dwellings fairly to all citizens, regardless of ethnicity or sect. Rebuilding must not become another tool of discrimination or exclusion.
Lasting stability in Syria will not come through repression or sectarianism, but through reconstruction that is just and inclusive.
