Private Properties Converted to Rubble Dumps in Darayya

In recent months, the debris from homes destroyed in previous combat operations in Darayya, a suburb of Damascus, have been relocated to designated sites within the city. Some of these sites previously housed residential buildings destroyed during the war between 2012 and 2016, while others were agricultural lands. In both cases, property owners were not consulted before their lands were repurposed as debris dumps.

Darayya witnessed peaceful opposition to the regime at the start of 2011 before falling under the control of armed opposition forces in 2012. The city endured a severe siege and intense shelling by regime forces, culminating in 2016 with the forced displacement of its entire population and widespread destruction. Subsequently, the Fourth Division, which controls the city, allowed limited returns under strict prior security approvals.

One of the primary areas converted into a debris dump is the Khalij area, adjacent to the Mazzeh military airport. Debris from neighbouring districts has been relocated here. The area suffered extensive destruction during the battles in Darayya. Khalij, an informal settlement northeast of Darayya, became a defensive line for regime forces in 2012, resulting in the demolition of all its structures. The city’s zoning plan, issued by the Ministry of Public Works and Housing in April 2018, considered the Khalij area empty and designated it as an empty land near the airport.

Photos shared by Darayya residents in a private Facebook group show trucks unloading debris in the Khalij area. Another photo depicts other trucks near large debris piles. Hussein, a resident, told The Syria Report that he was aware his home in Khalij had been destroyed during the conflict, and expressed despair over losing the chance to access his home’s ruins, as the entire area has become a major debris collection site.

Khalij has become a central debris dump, but private properties within the city, particularly unused lands in residential clusters, have also been repurposed. For instance, Widad’s family owns agricultural land west of the city’s “Construction Societies” area near the railway. Widad said that her family land is now a dump for debris collected from nearby buildings. The Construction Society site comprises licensed multi-storey buildings in a zoned area that suffered only minor damage during the war, allowing partial return of Internally Displaced People (IDP)Ps and refugees after renovations and the obtention of security approvals.

Similarly, Abu Ahmad, who owns agricultural land north of the city entrance, complained about his property being used as a dump without his consent. He noted that a private company is dumping debris extracted from the city on his and neighbouring lands.

Some debris removal operations in Darayya are managed by Noor Obeid Company, owned by Mohammed Sawan, a resident of the neighbouring city of Moadamiyeh known for his close ties with leaders of the Fourth Division controlling the area. The company’s board chairman, Mohammad Khair Al-Halabi, stated in a televised interview on the state-run Al-Mahaliya channel on July 31, that his company plays an active role in reconstruction by demolishing unsafe buildings and removing debris as part of a “solidarity initiative to support the local community,” approved by the Rural Damascus Governorate Council. Mr Halabi highlighted coordination with the Public Safety Committee of the Rural Damascus governorate but did not clarify whether the company had formal permissions for demolition and debris removal. He mentioned the company’s use of heavy machinery such as bulldozers, demolition equipment, and trucks.

The company focuses on moving debris to areas surrounding the city and other sites inside it, The Syria Report’s correspondent noted. However, during the summer of 2024, it also demolished some buildings in the Construction Societies under the pretext of structural unsafety. Local residents argued these buildings were only partially damaged and could have been repaired, but they were not structurally unsound. Amid difficulties in verifying accurate information, rumours have spread that the company targets structurally intact homes owned by absentee residents to extract and recycle iron from the debris.

Residents’ concerns prompted Rural Damascus Governor Ahmad Ibrahim Khalil to reassure them during a meeting with Darayya community leaders at the end of September. He stated that no damaged building would be demolished without inspection by a committee formed by the governorate and the Engineers Syndicate, to assess its condition and ensure it cannot be restored.