Over the past year and a half, particularly following the earthquake of February 6, 2023, various donors, international and local organisations, both governmental and non-governmental, have funded and implemented numerous projects under the banners of “early recovery” and “community resilience” across different regions of Syria.

The term “early recovery” is used to describe an intermediate phase that separates emergency relief from sustainable development and reconstruction during the international humanitarian response to crises and disasters. Meanwhile, “community resilience” refers to the ability of a community to adapt to, respond to, and recover effectively from crises and disasters. These terms are broad and can encompass a wide range of projects.

This article reviews some of the projects carried out by international and local organisations, both governmental and non-governmental, in regime-controlled areas under the themes of early recovery and community resilience. All the information in this article is sourced from official local press, organisations’ websites, and their social media pages.

A significant portion of early recovery and community resilience projects has been concentrated in the city of Aleppo, heavily destroyed due to the conflict and the 2023 earthquake. East Aleppo, which contains large informal settlements, suffered extensive destruction during the siege by regime forces from 2012 to 2016, and most of its residents were forcibly displaced to opposition-controlled areas in northwestern Syria. Therefore, there are many unregistered properties in the land records, owned by absent forcibly displaced persons. All this necessitates that donors find a clear mechanism to verify property ownership, current occupants, and ownership of the debris before undertaking any activities related to building restoration, debris removal, or road cleaning and reopening.

Currently, the Danish Refugee Council is launching an early recovery and community resilience project in some neighbourhoods of eastern Aleppo to renovate health centres, schools, and rehabilitate sewage networks. It is also implementing alternative lighting, and running health education, mental health, and family protection programmes, and community initiatives. These neighbourhoods include Al-Sukkari, Bustan Al-Qasr, and Al-Kallaseh. The project is being carried out in partnership with the International Medical Corps and Oxfam. The project was announced  on  July 2 in a meeting attended by the Syria Office Director of the Danish Refugee Council and the Governor of Aleppo, according to the official local newspaper Al-Jamahir.

Some early recovery and community resilience projects implemented in Aleppo have had an impact on HLP rights. For example, on March 20, the Aleppo Relief Subcommittee, a branch of the Higher Relief Committee under the Ministry of Local Administration and Environment, approved the implementation of projects in livelihood support, water, training, and early recovery, in coordination with international organisations and unnamed local non-governmental associations. Among the prominent projects is the “Cash for Work” initiative for collecting and removing solid waste and rubble from the neighbourhoods of Al-Sakhour, Al-Shaar, Dhahret Awad, Karm Al-Qaterji, Al-Firdous, and Karm Al-Daada.

In projects involving debris removal, donors are expected to verify the ownership of the debris, especially since they are dealing with damaged properties in informal areas not fully documented in land records, and most of their residents are forcibly displaced.

Another example, in June 2023, under the banner of early recovery and enhancing community resilience, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) launched a project aimed at rehabilitating infrastructure in 14 sites within the Al-Salihiya and Al-Firdous neighbourhoods in eastern Aleppo. According to project officials, the initiative has provided safe and clean roads by clearing rubble and debris, repairing the sewage system, and refurbishing pavements.

At the same time, the ILO delivered engineering equipment to the Engineers Syndicate in Aleppo for assessing structural damage to buildings. This equipment enables the reuse of damaged buildings that are not at risk of collapse and will not pose a danger if re-inhabited. Additionally, this equipment improves the professional standards of the Syndicate’s engineers through intensive training.

Following the February 2023 earthquake, the ILO launched a two-phase project to revive Al-Firdous and Al-Salihiya neighbourhoods through what it termed as community contracting and emergency employment. This involved removing the remaining earthquake debris to open roads, maintaining sewage networks, and refurbishing pavements. A total of 5,400 cubic metres of debris was removed, reopening access to 28 sites, and engaging 6,600 workers in the process.

Community contracting refers to projects designed to provide sustainable solutions to social and environmental problems while also generating financial returns. It focuses on creating job opportunities, enhancing local development, supporting the local economy, and fostering social innovation. Emergency employment, on the other hand, provides temporary job opportunities to individuals affected by crises or disasters, aiming to offer immediate income, rebuild infrastructure, enhance social stability, and equip individuals with new skills.

In Damascus and its surrounding countryside, multiple projects have been carried out under the banner of early recovery. These projects primarily focused on water-related initiatives, particularly the rehabilitation of water and sewage networks, and the installation of alternative energy systems to operate water pumps after their refurbishment. Organisations such as Oxfam, SHIELD, the Norwegian Church Aid, and UNICEF contributed to these projects, with active involvement of local entities in planning and implementation.

As part of a project named “Building Local Resilience in Syria,” funded by the United Kingdom, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) completed the rehabilitation of 88 kilometres of irrigation networks and 70 kilometres of sewage networks in southern Hama in June 2024. This project aims to support 10,000 farmers working on 7,500 hectares of agricultural land distributed across 16 villages in southwestern rural Hama. The United Nations website announced this project in April 2024, stating that it would enhance food security, livelihoods, and the resilience of farmers and their families for years to come.

In October 2023, the General Commission for the Administration and Development of Al-Ghab (GCADA), in collaboration with FAO, rehabilitated and maintained a section of a main irrigation canal in the Al-Ghab Plain. This canal irrigates agricultural lands, some of which are owned by individuals forcibly displaced from the area. These lands had previously been included in public investment auctions by Hama Governorate. This is not the first instance where international organisations, whether governmental or non-governmental, funded infrastructure rehabilitation projects that violate the property rights of forcibly displaced landowners. In November 2022, with funding from Secours Islamique France, 3,060 metres of a canal in the Qal’at Al-Madiq area of the Al-Ghab Plain, which also irrigates lands owned by forcibly displaced individuals, were repaired.