DAMASCUS (Realist English). Saudi Arabia on Sunday unveiled a series of humanitarian projects in Syria, including large-scale rubble clearance in and around the capital, as part of efforts to support reconstruction after more than a decade of conflict.
At a ceremony in Damascus, the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) announced a programme to remove over 75,000 cubic meters of wartime debris. At least 30,000 cubic meters will be recycled, according to the agreement signed by KSrelief president Abdullah al-Rabeeah and Syria’s minister for emergencies and disaster management Raed al-Saleh.
Saleh said the presence of rubble continues to obstruct humanitarian relief and reconstruction efforts, while unexploded remnants of war still endanger civilian lives.
Additional agreements will see Riyadh fund the rehabilitation of 34 schools across Aleppo, Idlib and Homs provinces, supply medical equipment to 17 hospitals, help restore around 60 bakeries, and repair sewage and water systems in Damascus.
“These projects aim to address high-priority needs and alleviate the suffering of affected people,” al-Rabeeah said at the signing.
The announcement comes weeks after Saudi Arabia pledged $6.4 billion in investment and partnership deals with Syria. Since the ouster of former president Bashar al-Assad in December, Syria’s new authorities have sought international backing to rebuild devastated infrastructure.
The United Nations estimates that the cost of Syria’s reconstruction exceeds $400 billion.
