The Syrian government is preparing a national housing strategy to ensure a long-term recovery model, Imad Hamad Al-Masri, Deputy Minister of Public Works and Housing for Planning and Studies in the Syrian Arab Republic, said at WUF13 in Baku, Report informs.
"We are working on a national housing strategy that should ensure a balance between supply and demand and define a long-term recovery model," he said.
According to him, Syria currently needs 2 million housing units.
He noted that the scale of the housing crisis is exacerbated by the demographic consequences of the conflict: "4.7 million Syrians are outside the country, and within Syria, that's approximately 7.2 million internally displaced persons."
Al-Masri noted that the Syrian authorities are promoting a "zero camps" and "zero tents" strategy. "Today, we are considering the complete elimination of temporary accommodation camps and tent settlements, especially in the north of the country," he said.
He clarified that approximately 2.4 million people previously lived in the camps, and that approximately 1.2 million still live in such conditions today.
According to him, the return of the population is complicated by destroyed infrastructure, mine danger, and economic constraints, but a phased resettlement and individualized return route planning are underway.
"Each camp and each family requires an individual approach, as people's conditions and needs vary significantly," he emphasized.