33,400 homes destroyed in Daraa, debris removal faces challenges

More than 95,000 homes and residential units across Daraa Governorate were damaged by military campaigns launched by the Baath regime during the years of the Syrian crisis. Of these, 33,400 homes were completely destroyed, while more than 60,000 sustained varying degrees of damage, according to a damage assessment report prepared by the Ministry of Local Administration and Environment in cooperation with the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat).

The damage also affected vital sectors, infrastructure and service facilities, including more than 55 bakeries and bread ovens. Efforts to remove rubble from destroyed buildings continue in Daraa city, particularly in the Daraa al-Balad area and the commercial market, amid technical and legal obstacles that are slowing clearance operations.

Issam al-Zoubi, head of the technical department at the Daraa City Council, said the governorate’s Emergency and Disaster Directorate continues to remove rubble from damaged sites under a contract specifically allocated for this purpose, aiming to clear the remains of destruction from targeted areas.

Al-Zoubi noted that the shortage of machinery and necessary resources, along with multiple legal procedures, are among the main obstacles to accelerating clearance operations. The process requires committees to document property ownership, identify rights holders, verify property records and formally notify owners in accordance with legal procedures, ensuring the protection of both owners’ and tenants’ rights.

He added that the municipality has issued decisions to demolish several buildings at risk of collapse due to the danger they pose to public safety. The committee responsible for damaged buildings assesses their condition and identifies those requiring demolition, granting owners the legally required period to carry out the orders. If they fail to comply, the municipality carries out the demolition at its own expense, in accordance with established procedures.

As part of efforts to document the damage and plan for reconstruction, the Ministry of Local Administration and Environment began issuing reports in February assessing war-related damage across Syrian governorates, in cooperation with UN-Habitat. The reports are based on field surveys conducted by specialized technical committees covering housing, education, health, infrastructure, service facilities and religious sites.

The ministry says these reports will serve as a reference for identifying development needs, preparing reconstruction plans and directing the efforts of local authorities and international organizations toward the hardest-hit areas and sectors. The work builds on preliminary surveys launched in January 2025 to establish a database that will help determine intervention priorities.

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ANHA