On anniversary of Al-Raqqa liberation ... it rebuilds anew

Contrary to the destroyed Syrian areas under the government and Turkish mercenaries' control, Al-Raqqa, which witnessed the fiercest battles against ISIS, is rebuilt with the active solidarity of its clans with the Civil Administration. After 3 years of liberation, the destroyed city is developing.

16 October, 2020 22:03

NEWS DESK – SHERVIN MUSTAFA – AMMAR ABDUL LATIF

The Syrian Democratic Forces ( SDF ) supported by the Global Coalition against ISIS, liberated the city on October 17, 2017, from ISIS mercenaries after years of suffering under the rule of the most fanatic organization that the world has ever seen.

Following 166 days of battles, the Civil Council, which was established on April 17, 2017, moved its headquarters from Ain Issa district to the city of Al-Raqqa, and set a work plan to restore life to the city.

'A major obstacle to return and construction'

Battles against the ISIS mercenaries caused a great deal of destruction, but the ISIS mines were the most prominent files awaiting the revival of the destroyed city, as at that time the city was completely mined by 8,000 mines.

The utmost importance was attached to clearing mines and persecuting the sleeper cells, they were the most prominent files that must be resolved in order for the council to carry its duties.

On this basis, the Internal Security Forces have been able during the past three years to consolidate security and stability in the region, despite some security breaches from time to time.

In this context, the administrator in the Internal Security Forces in Al-Raqqa, Mahmoud al-Sayed, indicated that the present stability went through many stages, starting with the removal of mines in cooperation with locals who, they also helped in persecuting the ISIS sleeper cells of Turkey and the Syrian government.

'Arab clans and civil administration'

The sons of the Arab clans of Al-Raqqa joined forces and played key role in consolidating the Autonomous Administration after discovering that it is the only viable solution in light of the presence of multiple parties linked with foreign agendas.

In this context, the sheikh of the al-Sabkha clan, Muhammad Turki al-Sawan, said, "The Syrian Democratic Forces are the only ones that protected and liberated the region at a time when all other forces abandoned it," rejecting any military presence other than the SDF in NE Syria.

The gathering of the Arab clans opened the door for the young to join the institutions of civil administration, the internal security forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces, this had a positive role in the reconstruction of the city despite the lack of supporters.

'Afflicted city to be rebuilt'

The city is inhabited by more than 300,000 people, according to the last statistic of the Office of Planning, Studies and Statistics at the Al-Raqqa Civil Council. There are 151,000 houses, 40% of which was completely destroyed and 60% was partially destroyed due to the battles.

In order to reconstruct the city, the council's committees removed the rubble, as the Technical Services Office removed one thousand m3 per day and 25,000 m3 per month with an economic feasibility estimated at 65 million pounds at the expense of the Civil Council, according to the head of Technical Services Office in the Civil Council of Al-Raqqa Ahmed Hajjo.

According to the council, many residents have rebuilt their homes, especially those located in the popular neighborhoods, which were partly damaged.

As for the houses that were completely destroyed, 1722 license applications were given.

In conjunction with the removal of rubble from the roads and rebuilding of destroyed homes, work on maintaining the sewage networks in several neighborhoods such as “Al-Romana, Ad-Dir'iyah, Al-Kurds, Al-Shuaib, Al-Furat, Al-Maamoun and Downtown began.

'Rehabilitation of the electricity in the city'

The infrastructure in the city was destroyed as a result of the battles and mines, including the electricity network. With the return of the people to the city, the Energy and Communications Committee of the Al-Raqqa Civil Council had to restore electricity amidst its limited capabilities.

The workshops were able to deliver electricity to entire neighborhoods in the city, such as Al-Barakah, the city center, Al-Soor, Al-Bustan, Al-Mansour Street, Saif Al-Dawla neighborhood, Al-Mashlab Al-Senaa, while work continues to restore your electricity to your Rumaila and North Al-Sikka neighborhoods and Al-Jame'at neighborhood in the eastern end of the city with the southern corniche of the city.

The work on providing the electricity to the neighborhoods of the city went on. Rather, the People's Municipality started projects of lightening the streets. In this context the 2-kilometer street that starts from the Old Bridge and ends at Al-Sa'aa, is the 8-kilometer project that starts from Baghdad Gate passing through Hisham bin Abdul Malik Street to Roundabout of firefighter inside the city and from Baghdad Gate to the municipal Slaughterhouse in the south.

The lighting project of the Saif Al Dawla Street, which is 1,000 meters long, has recently been completed, in addition to the Governorate Street with a length of 1100 m. Al Nasr Street extending from Al Naim Roundabout to the Dallah Roundabout in the city center is underway, and the Governorate Hospital intersection until the intersection of Al Hajwan Hospital.

The Interior Committee of the Al-Raqqa Civil Council is also working on several street lighting projects in the city center, including February 23 Street, Al-Wadi Street, Al-Amasi Street, and Tal Abyad Street, which is the main artery in the city.

'Health reality'

After the liberation, the Health Committee of the Civil Council rehabilitated the hospitals and medical centers and opened the Al-Raqqa National Hospital. During 2019, 1286 major operations and 3161 minor ones were performed in the hospital.

The hospital was supplied with the Interior Department, the Burns Department, in addition to equipping the Emergency, Surgery and First Aid Department, and the Industrial College Department, which receives 970 total dialysis sessions per month, in addition to providing vaccinations for many diseases such as leishmaniasis, polio and hepatitis.

The health sector managed to put in service many medical expertise after the control of ISIS mercenaries, and brought many medical devices such as "Magnetic Resonance, CT and Radiography".

Today, the city contains three public hospitals, namely, “The National, Obstetrics, Gynecology and Pediatrics”, and the Crescent Hospital, in addition to 6 private hospitals.

In addition, a number of health centers and dispensaries were opened, reaching 27 centers and dispensaries distributed over the city's neighborhoods and villages.

'Education'

Among the great challenges that faced the Civil Council, is the dropping of the children out of schools for 5 years and submission many of them to Sharia courses at the hands of ISIS mercenaries. On this basis, the Education Committee started working on rehabilitating the educational sector in the regions since June of 2017.

Three years after the liberation, the educational sector is witnessing a remarkable improvement. 394, 90 schools have been completely renovated, while 201 schools have been partially restored.

The number of the students in the current academic year is 119,000, while the teachers who are affiliated with the Education Committee is 4,727 distributed on the city and its countryside.

'Securing job opportunities'

The Social Affairs and Labor Committee of the Al-Raqqa Civil Council through the Employment Office secured jobs for 12,700 people.

It also granted licenses to 108 organizations in the Organizations Office of the Social Affairs and Labor Committee, which provide relief services to the population as well as support small projects and hold courses for young people.

'Economic movement'

The economic sector has seen marked improvement, as an increased number of factories and industrial workshops were opened and the number of factories licensed in the Economic Committee were 86. This shows the upward indicator of the prosperity of the economic movement.

The development was not limited to the factories, but it also included the agricultural sector, in which the majority of population works, as the cultivated and irrigated areas increased after the maintenance of the water networks and restarting the corn dryer, which is widely cultivated in Al-Raqqa.

'Unidentified corpses'

There are 27 mass graves in the city and its countryside that ISIS established during its occupation of the region. In this context, the Initial Response Team, which was established in September 2018, managed to retrieve thousands of bodies from them, while there are still unknown graves whose locations with an unidentified location.

The Initial Response Team recovered nearly 6070 bodies, only 700 bodies were identified.

As a result of the suspension of the Global Coalition's technical assistance in retrieving the bodies and identifying the victims who were killed by ISIS mercenaries, the team work was suspended.

'Thwarting the External Bet'

After the Turkish occupation attacks on the cities of Serêkaniyê and Girê Spî / Tal Abyad on October 9 of last year, sleeper cells started to be active in the city, some of them were linked to ISIS, others to Turkey and its mercenaries in the National Army. After the deployment of the Syrian government forces accompanied by the forces The Russian Federation on the border with Turkey following Russia-Turkey understandings on October 22, 2019, sleeper cells affiliated with the Syrian government worked to strike security and stability in Al-Raqqa.

These sleeper cells targeted political figures, clans chiefs, and members of civil institutions within the civil council.

In this context, the Co-chair of the Al-Raqqa Civil Council, Muhammad Nour al-Deeb, says after the United States announced several times the withdrawal from the regions of the NE Syria, many parties wagered on the failure of the civil council project or the handing over of the region to other parties, especially to the Syrian government, and a state of chaos unless the clans and people of the region adhere to this project and their categorical rejection of any external interference, the opposite is proven.

Nour pointed out that the Civil Council continued its work in providing services to the people, stressing that the people of Al-Raqqa have proven to the whole world that they have taken responsibility for liberating it from ISIS mercenaries, and they are the ones who run their city on their own and will not hand it over to any other party.

He emphasized the social cohesion present in society and the latter's role in preserving this administration, and pointed to the great role of the people in uncovering cells that try to create chaos and strife among the sects of society.

He explained that the Syrian regime has repeatedly tried to create chaos in the city through cells by carrying out assassinations and targeting figures close to the Autonomous Administration, but the people were aware of these games and were not dragged behind them, and on the contrary, they declared their rejection of these actions.

(A)

ANHA