UNHCR and Local Authorities Plan Rebuilding of 120 Homes in Northern Rural Daraa

The director of the Sanamein district, Abdullah Al-Alwa, held a meeting with a delegation from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), attended by the mayors of Aqraba and Deir Adas municipalities, to discuss the implementation of a housing rehabilitation project targeting partially damaged homes in northern rural Daraa. Daraa Governorate published details of the meeting through its official channels.

Project Scope and Target Communities

The project covers the rehabilitation of 120 homes, distributed equally at 40 units each across the towns of Aqraba, Deir Adas, and Kafr Nasij. The intervention is limited to partially damaged structures, following a methodology based on systematic damage assessment and needs-based prioritisation for eligible families.

Coordination Between Local and International Bodies

Participants underscored the importance of strengthening coordination between local authorities and international humanitarian organisations, and of accelerating damage assessment procedures and repair works. This collaboration forms part of UNHCR's broader housing repair programme in Syrian return areas, which supports both returning families and host communities in conflict-affected locations.

A Severe Housing Crisis in Daraa

Daraa Governorate is grappling with a severe housing shortage. The technical director of the Bosra Al-Sham city council, Moussa Al-Miqdad, stated that more than 30 percent of residents are living in severely overcrowded conditions, with no vacant housing units currently available in the city. The crisis stems from the widespread destruction caused by years of military operations and intensive bombardment that the region endured.

The simultaneous return of displaced families following the fall of the former government has sharply driven up demand for housing, leading to a significant rise in rental prices and mounting pressure on the existing housing stock, amid a scarcity of available options and an absence of rapid solutions.

Broader Humanitarian Context

This initiative is part of UNHCR's wider shelter programme across Syria, which encompasses damage assessments and home repairs in return areas across multiple governorates, with the aim of improving living conditions and supporting the sustainable reintegration of returning families and their host communities.