National Committee Formed to Prepare Infrastructure for Returnees

Syria’s Transitional President, Ahmad Al-Sharaa, issued Decree No. 59 on March 8, forming a national committee to rehabilitate infrastructure in heavily damaged areas. The aim is to allow displaced people to return, as well as to close various displacement camps, amid growing criticism directed at the  government due to the deteriorating conditions in the camps and the decline in support from international organisations.

Decree No. 59 stipulated the formation of a committee chaired by the Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management and it includes: the Ministers of Public Works and Housing, Social Affairs and Labour, Local Administration and Environment, the Director of International Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates,in addition to the governors of Aleppo, Hama and Idlib (where most camps are.)

The committee is tasked with preparing infrastructure in heavily damaged areas in preparation for the return of residents, in addition to improving public services in the areas of displacement until residents return to their original areas. The committee meets every 15 days or when necessary at the invitation of its chair, and submits a monthly report to the presidency on the results of its work.

The Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management, Raed Al-Saleh, told The Syria Report that the aim of forming the committee is to reach “a Syria without camps.” He added that two subcommittees will be formed under the supervision of the main committee: the first, financial, will oversee budgets, while the second, executive, will include representatives of ministries and governorates not represented in the main committee, and will be responsible for fieldwork and coordination among the relevant bodies. The committee’s task includes coordination with international organisations, and the development of a general vision and timetable for completing the work, the minister said.The situation in the displacement camps in northern Syria continues to deteriorate amid a lack of clear solutions for return, while most returnees are paying to repair their war-damaged homes out of pocket. According to the Directorate of Social Affairs and Labour in Idlib, there are around 800 displacement camps in northern Syria, inhabited by more than 120,000 people. These camps are concentrated in Dana, Sarmada, Atmeh, Harem, Salqin, Kafr Takharim, Badama, Khirbet Al-Joz, and other scattered areas. The camps in Dana are considered among the most dangerous, as they are repeatedly exposed to floods due to the lack of basic safety measures.

The current plan is based on coordination with international and local organisations to provide emergency assistance only inside the camps, without expanding sustainable services, so as not to prolong the existence of these camps. By contrast, work is under way to provide sustainable services in the war-damaged areas, including the rehabilitation of electricity, water and sewage networks, in a way that encourages residents to return. The plan also includes following up with families returning to their areas and providing them with support in cooperation with relevant actors. The support mechanism includes providing financial assistance to returnees through soft loans, or through donations, as a number of individuals have contacted the Idlib Social Affairs Directorate to give money to support house repairs, in addition to the support provided by international and local organisations.

A meeting is expected to be held between the Ministry of Emergency and a number of organisations during the coming week to develop a clear plan for financial support, including the assessment of damage to homes and the determination of support priorities according to the extent of the damage, starting with the most damaged homes and then the less damaged ones, with the aim of reaching the largest possible number of displaced people. The plan also includes rehabilitating infrastructure in the affected areas, including roads, sewage networks and electricity.

After the fall of the regime in December 2024, a number of families returned from the camps to their areas, but many of them faced difficulties that prevented them from settling permanently, due to housing damage and poor infrastructure. These issues led to a decline in the pace of return after a period of increase, amid the continued delay in reconstruction and the rehabilitation of the affected areas. 

The closure of the camps is linked to progress in rehabilitating infrastructure and providing services in areas of return, as well as to the ability of the relevant bodies to implement support and reconstruction plans according to defined priorities.