The costly reconstruction of Syria, following years of conflict, for which as much as $400 billion is needed, can be accelerated by restoring international trust in the country and establishing institutions, experts say.
The Baath regime’s attacks on the Syrian population and infrastructure to keep holding onto power left behind a severely damaged economy, while the 13-year-long civil war further devastated Syria’s development, infrastructure, economy and human resources.
The civil war destroyed homes, businesses, schools, hospitals, public buildings, sewage systems, telecommunications systems, electricity distribution and generation systems.
The civil war displaced 6 million people outside of Syria and 7 million internally.
Thousands of wholly abandoned villages, towns and neighborhoods in many cities and regions of the country were the outcome of the civil war, and urgent action is necessary to reconstruct Syria after the fall of the Assad regime in early December.
Housing and large-scale investments to rebuild roads, power plants and communication lines are significant in providing decent life and economic conditions for millions of Syrian refugees returning home. Syria requires financial and technical support from international organizations and regional powers in its reconstruction.
Reports show that the housing sector can contribute 60% of the $400 billion estimated cost of reconstruction.
However, many sanctions imposed on Syria, especially by the U.S. and the EU, are still in place, and they hinder further development. Experts urge that sanctioning countries should lift their restrictions once their conditions are met.
Neil Quilliam, associate fellow at the London-based think tank Chatham House, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that ensuring security and stability in Syria will be the first step of the interim government.
"Winning the confidence of the domestic and international business communities will be key, and they will require assurances that the policy environment will be stable and predictable,” he said, adding, "That is a tall order after 13 years of conflict.”
Quilliam stated that the international community can support Syria’s reconstruction in more ways than one, but it needs to act with organization.
"The international community should deploy technical teams at speed to support ministries, government agencies and local government institutions in managing reconstruction,” he said.
"Syrians have proven to be resourceful and resilient both inside the country and in host nations, where they have been refugees and are a tremendous resource that needs to be realized. That said, there is a danger that in the rush to begin reconstruction efforts, costly mistakes, including embedding corruption into new government practices, will undermine the long-term success of projects and Syria’s transition,” he added.
Quilliam highlighted that Syria, to be led by an inclusive government, needs significant strategic and financial support to start reconstruction "almost from scratch."
He noted that any financial support to the country needs to be based on long-term investments in key sectors to stabilize the country and grow its economy.
"Sanctions will be lifted and should be lifted, but that requires conditions to be met, and Western countries that have imposed sanctions will require more time to be convinced that those targeted by such sanctions will not become the beneficiaries of a policy change,” he said.
"Given that the Assad regime has fallen, it should be relatively easy to remove the sanctions, but the bureaucratic process will take some time; ultimately, though, it is a political decision that has to be made by Western leaders," he added.
Julien Barnes-Dacey, director of the Middle East and North Africa program at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), told AA that the EU needs to establish a significant political and economic partnership with Syria and support its reconstruction efforts.
Barnes-Dacey stated that Europe needs to engage politically with the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and lift sanctions while offering an economic package to help Syria become safer for those returning home.
He urged the bloc to negotiate with President-elect Donald Trump to lift U.S. sanctions if or when a genuinely inclusive government is established in Syria.
Abdallah Al Dardari, assistant secretary-general at the U.N. Development Program (UNDP) Regional Bureau for Arab States, said in a recent statement that Syria lost $54 billion of its gross domestic product (GDP) in the last 14 years, dropping to $8 billion today, while the country’s poverty rate rose from 12% before the civil war to 65%.
Al Dardari stated that Syria is facing a challenging recovery, and about 2 million of the 5.5 million houses have been destroyed or damaged, while the country’s public institutions weakened. He added that the U.N.’s development programs will focus on supporting institutions as building them is critical for Syria’s development and reconstruction.
