Syria’s REVIVE project tackles 570,000 tonnes of rubble to support community recovery

The UN Development Programme and its partners are working through REVIVE to clear 570,000 tonnes of debris in Aleppo, Deir-ez-Zor, Homs and Rural Damascus. The programme combines clearance with road rehabilitation and repairs to water and sewage networks. It also includes education about explosive ordnance risks and initiatives that recycle debris into construction materials. Communities are leading efforts to restore their neighbourhoods, but the scale of the damage requires equipment, planning, coordination and continued support. The work follows more than a decade of conflict that displaced millions and caused infrastructure damage estimated at over $100 billion.

During a visit to Rural Damascus, UNDP staff member Joelle-Seme Park described broken concrete and metal obstructing streets and making movement between them difficult. Blocked access prevented repairs to water and sewage systems and complicated the return of electricity and other services. Across the communities she visited, removing rubble allowed movement to resume and families to begin returning. Park emphasised that clearance was an essential first step toward recovery. Her observations also highlighted residents’ determination, with some people removing debris from their own homes by hand.

More than 1,300 people have taken part in paid debris-removal work, supporting over 6,000 family members. An Aleppo recycling worker told Park that the income enabled her to buy food and medicine for children in her care, who had also returned to school. Beyond paid activities, residents were contributing their time to shared spaces. A volunteer in Aleppo described neighbours rebuilding a park and restoring streetlights after clearance, making the area available for children and women after school. These accounts show how income, restored access and community participation are connected within the recovery effort.