Syria’s reconstruction and development, expected to cost up to $400 billion, can be accelerated by restoring international trust towards the country and establishing institutions, experts say.

The 61-year Baath regime’s attacks on the Syrian populace and infrastructure to keep holding onto power left behind a severely damaged economy, while the 13-year-long civil war furthered devastated Syria’s development, infrastructure, economy and human resources.

The civil war wrought destruction to homes, businesses, schools, hospitals, public buildings, sewage systems, telecommunications, and electricity distribution and generation systems.

The conflict forced 6 million people outside of Syria and displaced 7m internally. Thousands of completely abandoned villages, towns, and neighbourhoods 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 hold great significance in providing decent life and economic conditions for millions of Syrian refugees returning home.

Syria requires financial and technical support from international organisations and regional powers in its reconstruction. Reports show that 60 per cent of the $400bn estimated cost of the reconstruction can come from the housing sector.

However, many sanctions imposed on Syria, especially by the US 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.

Syria restarts ‘almost from scratch’

Neil Quilliam, associate fellow at the London-based think tank Chatham House, told Anadolu 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 organisation.

“The international community should deploy at speed technical teams to support ministries, government agencies, and local government institutions to manage 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 so are a tremendous resource, which needs to be realised.

“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 stabilise 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.

Europe needs to support Syria’s reconstruction

Julien Barnes-Dacey, director of the Middle East and North Africa programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), told Anadolu that the EU needs to establish a significant political and economic partnership with Syria and support the country in its reconstruction efforts.

Barnes-Dacey stated that Europe needs to engage politically with 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 US sanctions if or when a truly inclusive government is established in Syria.

Abdallah Al Dardari, assistant secretary-general at the UN Development Programme (UNDP) Regional Bureau for Arab States, said in a recent statement that Syria lost $54bn of its gross domestic product (GDP) in the last 14 years, dropping to $8bn today, while the country’s poverty rate rose from 12pc before the civil war to 65pc.

Al Dardari stated that Syria is facing a challenging recovery and about 2m of the 5.5m houses have been destroyed or damaged, while the country’s public institutions weakened. He added that the UN’s development programmes will focus on supporting institutions as building them is critical for Syria’s development and reconstruction.