Tentative Return to Zabadani After Years of Widespread Destruction

In 2017, the city of Zabadani to the west of Damascus sat in utter destruction after the latest round of battles. The siege imposed by Hezbollah on the city, along with continuous aerial and artillery bombardment by regime forces, forced the opposition in Zabadani into displacement under that year’s Four Towns Agreement.

Current state of the city

Much of the city remains destroyed, although certain areas of the city, particularly near the western entrance, from Festival Street towards the Al-Rahma neighbourhood, are somewhat livable, as could testify one of our correspondents. Over the past few years, some residents have even been able to gradually return to this area, repairing some damaged buildings and clearing rubble from the main streets. .

The return of some residents has not led to any significant improvement in services in this single inhabited area of the city. The water and sewage networks suffer extensive damage, while the electricity network is severely compromised, with cables frequently collapsing whenever a new one is added. This necessitates repeated repairs, amid a highly irregular electricity supply that barely lasts an hour per day.

Returning to the ruined neighbourhoods

Away from this area, toward the outskirts of the Al-Mahatta neighbourhood, as well as the western quarters, the Christian neighbourhood, Ayn Jaber, Al-Burhan, and surrounding areas, buildings still sit completely destroyed amid rubble. These areas require the removal of debris and a total reconstruction effort. Despite this, some residents now live in ground floors that were spared from complete destruction. These floors are occupied by displaced owners who returned after the regime’s fall, risking their lives to live in homes that could collapse at any moment.

Hazem, a 24-year-old IT engineer and a fighter with the Deterrence of Aggression Forces under the leadership of Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), recently returned to his house in the Al-Burhan neighbourhood, refurbishing its ground floor for temporary residence. The ground floor comprises three rooms, while three partially destroyed upper floors loom precariously above. Hazem does not intend to permanently settle in this home, stating that if he has to stay in the city for an extended period, he would rent a safer residence.

Reluctance to settle and searching for alternatives

Most of the returnees to the destroyed neighbourhoods interviewed by The Syria Report share the same stance. Many prefer to treat their current stay in Zabadani as temporary, favouring homes in less damaged neighbouring areas such as Bloudan, Al-Rawda, Al-Housh, and Ayn Hour, or returning to rented homes in northern Syria, where services, schools, and transportation are more readily available.

Security restrictions and fees on repairs

According to multiple residents who returned to Zabadani before Mr Assad’s fall on December 8, the municipality previously prohibited the restoration of partially damaged homes without prior security approval from the military and security forces controlling the city. Residents interpreted this requirement for prior approval as a justification for security and military forces to impose fees on those seeking to repair their homes, without any legal basis. After obtaining approval, property owners had to procure building materials personally and at their own expense, using private trucks. However, transporting building materials was itself prohibited by security and military checkpoints surrounding the city, unless additional illegal fees were paid.

Discrimination in permitting repairs

Conversely, the municipality allowed the restoration of two churches in the Christian neighbourhood, financed entirely by the remaining Christian residents and expatriates. The two churches now stand alone amidst the surrounding rubble.

Local sources told The Syria Report that Christians in the city believe the facilitation of church repairs was not an act of kindness or support by the Assad regime but rather a deliberate move to bolster its propaganda image as a “protector of minorities”.

Administrative changes after the regime’s fall

A source from the Zabadani City Council told The Syria Report that the Rural Damascus Governorate Office issued a new circular after the Assad regime’s fall. It instructed the municipality to cease issuing fines for unlicensed restoration and construction activities and to focus instead on documenting and archiving them for future resolution. The governorate also recommended relying on support from the local community in the coming period to fund municipal activities and ensure the continuation of services.