Syria, UN-HABITAT Discuss Cooperation in Implementing Reconstruction Plans

DAMASCUS- Deputy Prime Minster for Services Affairs Omar Ghalawanji and the Regional Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-HABITAT) Mustafa Madbouli yesterday discussed prospects of cooperation between the Syrian government and the UN program which joined other international organizations acting in Syria within the framework of the UN-Syria response plan.

Ghalawanji stressed that a new objective and transparent mechanism was set for the program of early recovery, reconstruction and development in order to implement this program in cooperation with concerned government bodies and to make it a success.

He reviewed the actions taken by the government to alleviate the suffering of the displaced citizens affected by the armed groups’ terrorist acts, noting that a higher reconstruction plan as well as a higher relief plan were formed to provide urgent humanitarian services to the terrorism-hit people.

The deputy premier said that the UN-HABITAT could help preparing studies to contribute to rehabilitating the temporary shelters or establishing new ones.

For his part, Madbouli affirmed the importance of cooperation with the Syrian government to push forward efforts aiming to restore Syrian cities in the light of the understanding memo to be signed between the UN-HABITAT and the Local Administration Ministry within the framework of implementation the response plan signed between Syria and the United Nations.

The UN official pointed out that the program can help build human abilities and provide training to build the Syrian work team which will participate in implementing the understanding memo. It also can have coordination with some donor parties to finance projects agreed on.

Madbouli briefed Ghalawanji on the program’s work in the domain of cities management, housing, and reconstruction, hoping that Syria and the Syrian people will emerge from the ongoing crisis as soon as possible.

H. Mustafa