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Government Housing Projects for Eligible Earthquake Victims

20-06-2023/in HLP, News /by Rand Shamaa

Four months after the February 6 earthquake, governmental housing projects for those whose homes were damaged or lost in the disaster are still in the initial stages of debris removal, for the homes destroyed, and foundation digging.

Chaos, confusion and lack of clarity pervade the official statements and data regarding these projects, although one can already conclude that government housing projects for victims of the earthquake are part of the third longer-term stage of the government’s national action plan, which was announced by the Council of Ministers on February 15 and approved two months later. This third stage stipulates that homes should be rebuilt and the urban landscape improved relative to the situation before the earthquake and war, through the rezoning and rebuilding of informal settlements.

There is also a variance in the nomenclature that Syrian officials use for these planned projects in the governorates of Aleppo and Lattakia; some of them call it alternative housing, for example. In this article, we will adopt the name government housing projects for eligible earthquake victims, to distinguish them from prefabricated temporary housing projects, which are funded by regional and international donors.

In all cases, there are doubts over the possibility of completing the government housing projects within the officially set one-year deadline. The modest number of expected completed homes may not meet the housing needs of the large numbers of affected people. Additionally, the criteria adopted to determine who are the beneficiaries of these homes after their completion remain unclear.

Aleppo city

The earthquake caused the total collapse of 53 buildings in the city of Aleppo, with cracks appearing and partial collapses occurring in hundreds of other buildings. On February 19, the governor of Aleppo stated that 220 buildings at risk of collapse had been demolished.

On June 10, Prime Minister Hussein Arnous inspected two housing project sites for the quake victims in Aleppo; one in Al-Haidariya neighbourhood and the other in Al-Maasaraniya suburb for youth housing, east of the city. Arnous said during his visit that the two housing projects “contribute to solving the problem of unlicensed construction.” It is unclear what exactly he meant, but the two areas where these housing projects are being implemented include large informal settlements built on public property, some of which were damaged by the earthquake.

According to state media, four buildings will be constructed in Al-Haidariya, each consisting of 10 storeys with eight apartments each, making 320 apartments in total. The total area of these apartments will be 25,600 square metres, at a total cost estimated at SYP 66.6 billion. Jamal Karim, the head of the studies department at Aleppo city council, said on June 4 that the body studying the project is the Professional Practice Unit at Aleppo University, and that the General Housing Establishment under the Ministry of Public Works and Housing will implement it. Four months after the earthquake, work on this project is still in its early stages, which includes land levelling and digging foundations.

The land on which the project in Al-Haidariya is being built is owned by the Aleppo city council. On March 15, the head of Aleppo city council, Muadd Al-Madlaji, said that the area of land allocated in Al-Haidariya for housing the earthquake victims is 78 hectares large and can accommodate 10,000 residential apartments. It should be noted that Al-Haidariya is a large informal area where the Aleppo city council had previously created a 118-hectare real estate development zone in October 2010, which is also public property. So far, it is unclear what the boundaries of the new housing project for earthquake victims in Al-Haidariya are, and whether it extends to some of the land allocated for the real estate development area.

Meanwhile, the housing project in Al-Maasaraniya suburb east of Aleppo consists of four buildings containing 120 apartments, with each apartment ranging in size between 65 and 90 square metres, and a total floor area of 10,000 square metres, at a total estimated cost of SYP 18.6 billion. According to official announcements, the project is about 28 percent complete and is being carried out by the Military Construction Implementation Corporation (MCIC) of the Ministry of Defense—or Mataa in Arabic. The land on which the housing project in Al-Maasaraniya is being built is owned by the General Housing Establishment.

Al-Maasaraniya neighbourhood is located on the Aleppo-Raqqa highway, near Aleppo International Airport, and includes informal settlements built on public property. In 2002, the General Housing Establishment launched a youth housing project in Al-Maasaraniya. By 2010, only the first phase of the project had been completed, and part of it was handed over to applicants. From 2012 onwards, Al-Maasaraniya, including its youth housing, became a dangerous area due to its proximity to the airport, and until 2016 it was subjected to aerial bombardment by the regime, pushing most of its residents to flee and causing widespread destruction.

Both the projects in Al-Haidariya and Al-Maasaraniya have a one-year implementation deadline, Deputy Governor of Aleppo, Komeit Assi Al-Sheikh, told the state-run Tishreen newspaper on June 6.

The Minister of Public Works and Housing, Suhail AbdulLatif, inspected work at the housing project sites in Al-Haidariya and Al-Maasaraniya on June 3, pointing to the government’s interest in the buildings for eligible people as part of the measures included in the national earthquake response plan. AbdulLatif said that work is being done in a systematic engineering and administrative manner, urging adherence to execution quality and compliance with the set schedule. AbdulLatif chaired a meeting at the governorate building, in which he was briefed on a detailed presentation about the structural work, cladding and implementation phases in the two projects.

Lattakia governorate

In the Lattakia governorate, 50 buildings completely collapsed and dozens partially collapsed due to the earthquake. In mid-May, the governor of Lattakia said there were 1,200 damaged buildings on the verge of collapse needing to be demolished, according to reports from public safety committees.

Similar to Aleppo, housing projects will be established in Lattakia for earthquake victims on lands owned by the General Housing Establishment, as well as lands owned by the Lattakia City Council. The governor of Lattakia, Amer Hilal, confirmed in mid-May that construction had begun on four residential towers in the city’s Al-Thawra Street neighbourhood, and two towers in Al-Gharraf neighbourhood. He added that preparations had also begun to construct two towers in the city of Jableh. The Minister of Public Works and Housing and the governor of Lattakia, inspected on May 13, the status of the works in some of these projects.

Each tower consists of 10 storeys of apartments, each ranging from 80 to 100 square metres. The actual number of apartments in these projects is unclear amid conflicting figures released by official sources; some numbers indicated the construction of 160 apartments on General Housing Establishment-owned land, and 160 apartments on lands owned by the Lattakia City Council. Other sources pointed to 320 apartments on GHE lands, and 80 apartments on city council lands under the management of the GHE and implemented by public construction companies.

In any case, work is currently still in its preliminary stages in all these projects. The Minister of Housing indicated that work is still focused on testing soil resistance at the site intended for the construction of two towers in Jableh, while the General Company for Engineering Studies is preparing engineering studies for the project. After their completion, the excavation work will commence.

On March 15, the head of the Lattakia Governorate Council told the semi-official Al-Watan newspaper that work was underway to provide housing to those who lost their homes in the quake. He added that preparations were underway to build a clear and precise database to identify and count all the victims whose homes were destroyed or cracked beyond repair. The official pointed out that administrative units will work on preparing the site for construction, and the governorate is preparing the infrastructure for sewerage networks, water and all other public services.

Prefabricated Temporary Housing for Earthquake Evacuees

20-06-2023/in HLP, News /by Rand Shamaa

The first report to be issued by the operations rooms put in place in Syria’s earthquake-stricken governorates, issued on March 14, 2023, confirmed the existence of a medium-term approach to address the housing issue for those affected by the February 6 disaster. This approach involves installing prefabricated housing units to accommodate and host the affected families. It appears that there is a governmental directive to fund these units solely through international or regional donors, such as Iraq, the UAE and China.

Due to the lack of clarity and precise data about this approach, it can be concluded from the information published about it in the official media, that it falls under the second medium-term phase of the national action plan to deal with the aftermath of the earthquake, which was announced by the Council of Ministers on February 25 and approved on April 25.

In these projects, there is a variance in designations and terminologies; from shelter units to temporary housing, or pre-fabricated or alternative housing. In determining the characteristics of this type of housing, this article will use the name: temporary prefabricated housing units for earthquake victims. In all cases, official statements on the subject vary, and contradictions appear in the numbers of these units, their areas, the areas of the zones allocated for them. It is worth noting that the governorates of Aleppo and Lattakia have specified sites for the construction of these homes, while regional and international entities have taken on the task of building the units. A single site can include contributions from more than one grantor.

Iraqi Popular Mobilisation Forces

Prime Minister Hussein Arnous inspected a site in Jabrin area east of Aleppo city, during his visit to Aleppo on June 10, designated for the establishment of 332 temporary prefabricated housing units for earthquake victims. The project is being implemented by the Iraqi Relief Mobilisation, a civil arm of the Iraqi Popular Mobilisation Forces, a militia composed of armed Iraqi Shiite factions loyal to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

The operations room for the Aleppo governorate adopted a plan in March, the details of which were not revealed, to construct temporary prefabricated housing units for those affected by the earthquake, on a 50-hectare area in Jabrin, located near Aleppo International Airport and surrounded by the Sheikh Najjar industrial city and the Aleppo train station. Jabrin was incorporated into the administrative boundaries of Aleppo city in 1996. In 2017, a shelter centre and camps for displaced people were established there.

Aleppo Governor Hussein Diab stated to the media during a visit to the Iraqi Relief Mobilisation project in Jabrin, on April 9, that the installation of the temporary housing units represents a new stage on the road to recovery and a significant point in transitioning from collective shelters. Aleppo governorate has taken responsibility for levelling and preparing the land and carrying out infrastructure works.

On April 15, the state-run SANA news agency announced that technical work crews from the Iraqi Relief Mobilisation initiative, in cooperation with the Aleppo governorate, completed 100 prefabricated units in Jabrin. A member of the executive office in the governorate council said that the governorate of Aleppo has allocated a 13-hectare area in Jabrin to the Iraqi Mobilisation Relief initiative.

The coordinator of the Iraqi initiative, Ghaleb Al-Husseini, told SANA, on April 15 that the project aims to set eventually 500 housing units, 100 of which have been completed and are ready for delivery. Each unit covers an area of 36 square metres, consisting of two bedrooms and a salon, equipped with a solar panel. The units are constructed with iron as the main material used in manufacturing. The units also include sound and thermal insulation materials. These units will be equipped with necessary household furniture for family life, and each one can accommodate six to eight people. Husseini indicated that the first phase of the project is expected to be completed within two months, including the delivery of 300 units.

China

In late May, the Minister of Local Administration and Environment Hussein Makhlouf, along with the Chinese ambassador to Syria, Xi Hongoi, signed a document to receive prefabricated units, donated by the Chinese people for the earthquake victims. The Syrian minister stated that the units would be distributed equally between the governorates of Aleppo and Lattakia. These units are part of a plan for medium-term housing centres, and they can be used as mobile clinics or classrooms, depending on the needs of the schools, or as temporary kitchens for shelter centres, among other uses.

The director of the cargo transport regulation office in Aleppo governorate told the Athr Press website on April 20 that a convoy of 13 trucks transported 25 containers containing 100 prefabricated units from a Chinese ship that arrived at Lattakia port to the Jabrin area in Aleppo. The remaining homes are expected to arrive on other ships.

The Lattakia governorate received its share of prefabricated units from China as reported by Al-Watan newspaper, on April 10. An executive office member in Lattakia governorate explained that the donation, which arrived on the ship Lady Mia, included 228 housing units inside 57 containers. These were handed over to the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) for distribution to the locations and areas designated by the governorate for the setting of temporary housing for those affected by the earthquake.

The executive office member added that those who will benefit from these units are the earthquake victims whose homes were destroyed and lost in the quake, or those whose homes were damaged and are at risk of collapse. This is according to a specific mechanism that includes the actual victims. The official did not clarify what this specific mechanism is, but he explained that each housing unit consists of one room and its facilities, with an area ranging between 40-50 square metres.

United Arab Emirates

In a press conference held in Lattakia on April 17, the head of the United Arab Emirates Red Crescent delegation, Mohammed Al-Kaibi, said that the UAE would construct 1,000 prefabricated housing units for those affected by the earthquake in Lattakia governorate. During the inauguration of the first prefabricated housing unit in Lattakia city’s Al-Gharraf neighbourhood on April 6, Kaibi stated that the purpose of these units is to ease pressure on shelter centres. He added that these would act as temporary shelter centres, comprising 1,000 housing units distributed over seven areas.

The Lattakia governorate earmarked seven sites for the establishment of prefabricated housing projects, as follows: three sites in Lattakia city – two in Al-Gharraf neighbourhood and one in Damsarkho. In the Jableh area, three sites were identified in the neighbourhoods of Al-Naka, Al-Fawar and Al-Faid, and one site was identified in Astamo in the Qardaha area.

The Relief Operations Room in the Lattakia governorate indicated that work would begin at Al-Gharraf. Each housing unit measures 42 square metres and follows a standard design. The Relief Operations Room added that coordination is ongoing with international organisations for the funding of temporary streets, pavements, public lighting and medical points for these projects. Meanwhile, the Governor of Lattakia projected that the completion period would be between six and eight months, including the provision of infrastructure such as water and electricity networks and sewage systems at the sites.

During a meeting with the directors of service and construction agencies in the governorate on April 16, the Lattakia governor stressed the need to expedite the implementation of infrastructure at the sites set aside for the Emirati housing units. He highlighted the necessity for regular monitoring of all the sites and speedy implementation of services and infrastructure, which would help in reducing the delivery time of the completed housing units.

The semi-official newspaper Al-Watan reported on May 9 that the mayor of Qammin, which includes the Astamo village, stated that the UAE project had temporarily halted due to the lack of suitable public land within the Qammin municipality’s jurisdiction. Therefore, the municipality suggested leasing a land for a period of 40 years with automatic renewal, which was rejected by the Ministry of Local Administration. The Ministry insisted on buying a piece of land at an appropriate price and establishing temporary housing units on it. As Al-Watan reported later, the Ministry’s insistence on purchasing the land was due to its desire to ensure the project’s future stability, serving the affected and the administrative unit in general. Indeed, on May 18, the Lattakia governorate council approved Qammin municipality’s request, granting it a donation of SYP 210 million to buy a piece of land to establish temporary homes for those affected by the earthquake in Astamo, with the UAE Red Crescent as the implementing party.

On May 9, the official SANA news agency reported that the Lattakia governorate had begun legal procedures to transfer the land ownership in Astamo, prior to its preparation and commencement of construction work. The land, measuring 10 dunams and capable of accommodating 85 prefabricated housing units, is expected to have a completed housing project within eight months.

Lattakia Residents Face Uncertainty After Earthquake

30-05-2023/in HLP, News /by Rand Shamaa

Since the earthquake on February 06, some owners of damaged properties in Lattakia still do not know what could happen to their homes or whether they will receive state compensation. Meanwhile, there has been a lack of meaningful solutions at the government and local levels.

If people affected by the earthquake do not have relatives or acquaintances of influential officials or cannot pay bribes to officials in municipalities and public safety committees, owners of damaged properties are afraid to ask about their rights. This is due to the security-focused nature of the Syrian state, which handles many day-to-day issues that impact people’s lives with secrecy. Such secrecy extends to data, statistics, zoning plans and detailed government plans. In addition, the fact that many people from the coastal region are affiliated with the security and military apparatuses means that they are used to carrying out orders, and public unaccountability has become the norm.

Speaking with The Syria Report, one resident impacted by the quake described the situation in the public hallways and offices of the Lattakia governorate as a “black hole”. There, information is not transparent, and people do not receive clear answers to questions about their rights. Notably, specific topics are considered taboo and are prohibited. Nobody knows the exact reasons for these informational red lines, who set them, or whether they are simply baseless rumours. Without clear answers or information, most residents conduct their affairs based on hearsay, which eventually snowballs and can include elements of conspiracy theories.

For example, at one point, discussion of reinforcement permits became banned. In response, residents exchanged rumours about the possibility of the state providing partial compensation for the costs of reinforcing buildings cracked by the earthquake, according to secret, undisclosed lists of recipients. Furthermore, it has become impossible to ask municipalities about evacuating buildings at risk of collapse or sealing them with red wax. Questions about the end destination of building debris are also off-limits. Currently, people are afraid of asking about temporary prefabricated housing, which countries such as China and the UAE have pledged to help provide. This includes questions about the sites for such housing and potential beneficiaries. Residents have discussed that some prefabricated homes arrived in Lattakia but were afraid to ask municipal employees about this. Some rumours even say there are secret lists of housing recipients that do not include everyone affected by the earthquake.

Abu Ali owns a two-storey building in the Lattakia countryside that partially collapsed due to the earthquake. He decided to rent a home in Homs and move his family there, fearing the building could collapse in the quake aftershocks. During that period, Abu Ali repeatedly visited his municipality and the Lattakia governorate to see what could be done, i.e. whether there was an entity tasked with reinforcing buildings or whether he would be compensated with alternative housing. He didn’t receive any definitive answers. Instead, his valid questions only raised suspicion and annoyance among the employees he interacted with. Abu Ali sold his car and some agricultural land three months after the earthquake. He moved with his family to a Gulf country. He said he had already endured ten years of war in the hopes of it ending and the situation improving. But after the earthquake, he said it was clear that the state would fail to manage any crisis, even natural disasters.

Sawsan’s house in a rural Lattakia village partially collapsed in the quake and became uninhabitable. She and her family moved to her mother’s house next door. It wasn’t until three months had passed since the earthquake that a structural safety committee arrived in the village to assess the damage. Sawsan asked the committee members if there was a government plan to compensate earthquake-affected residents with alternative housing and how she could obtain such housing. One of the committee’s engineers responded that they had no information. She fears asking such questions to the Lattakia governorate, feeling that the doors of state institutions are closed off to people like her.

Mohammad is a financially well-off man who owns an old house in Lattakia. A consulting engineer whom Mohammad hired at his own expense after the earthquake advised that the house was no longer habitable. Mohammad and his family left the house and rented a home in the Lattakia countryside, fearing returning to the damaged building would be dangerous. Meanwhile, the governorate refused to grant Mohammad a permit to reinforce his home and barred him from reinforcing it without a permit. Instead, Mohammad decided to reinforce the back of the building without a licence because it is not visible from the street, so the structural safety committees could not monitor it. His attempts to obtain a legal reinforcement permit for the front of the building were unsuccessful. He said the state employees have been unpredictable and make decisions that do not benefit people, leaving them vulnerable to various risks. According to Mohammad, residents have been left to their own devices to face the earthquake aftermath, as well as an authoritarian government that does not care about them. The governorate often issues contradictory decisions, sometimes facilitating reinforcement permits or restricting them without good reason.

Samer and his family live in Lattakia. Their entire building showed evident cracks from the earthquake. When Samer wanted to submit a request to the municipality for inspection and evaluation of whether the building was safely habitable, other building residents barred him from doing so, fearing involvement with municipal bureaucracy and the safety committees. Samer’s neighbours worried that if the building underwent inspection, the municipality could force them to evacuate their homes or that they might have to reinforce the structure at their own expense.

Riyad and Bahaa, two brothers, also found cracks in their building, where they live in adjacent apartments. All of the building residents evacuated to nearby shelter centres. The municipality still has not inspected their building, and the brothers have nowhere to live. So they decided to return to their apartments, despite the risk of the building collapsing. Bahaa says living in a dangerous home is better than waiting in uncertainty at a shelter centre.

Finally, Shaymaa is from Lattakia, where the building she and her family live in collapsed, killing some family members. Shaymaa is currently staying with remaining family members scattered across relatives’ homes. She heard recently that China would provide prefabricated alternative housing to earthquake-affected Lattakia residents but later heard from a relative that the homes were not meant for families. Instead, her relative told her the homes would be small and go to individuals. Shaymaa is afraid of asking the governorate for more information and says no officials have informed her about any potential alternative housing.