The Syrian Civil Defence began, on Wednesday, rubble removal and relocation operations in the city of Zabadani in the Damascus countryside, as part of a comprehensive rubble management project covering the cities of Douma, Daraya, and Zabadani. This project is funded by the King Salman Centre for Relief and Humanitarian Works, aiming to support early recovery and prepare damaged areas for rehabilitation.
Minister of State for Emergency and Disaster Management Munir Mustafa clarified, in a statement to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), that the work in Zabadani targets the relocation of more than 25,000 cubic meters of rubble over three months. He added that this work is an extension of operations carried out in Douma and Daraya, which resulted in the relocation of approximately 85,000 cubic meters of debris.
For his part, Dr. Naif Saleh Al-Shamri, Director of the King Salman Centre for Relief and Humanitarian Works office in Syria, stated that the project completes previous interventions and includes four main activities. These include relocating at least 125,000 cubic meters of rubble, providing heavy and light equipment, establishing specialized recycling units, and producing materials usable in infrastructure projects.
Al-Shamri noted that the project contributes to creating suitable conditions for the return of displaced persons, restoring life in damaged areas, and improving basic services. He also emphasized the importance of continuing such projects in various Syrian areas requiring rubble removal and preparing conditions for residents' return.
Plan for Rubble Removal
For his part, Deputy Governor of Damascus Countryside for Technical Affairs, Engineer Abdullah Al-Khatib, clarified that the Zabadani project comes within a series of interventions launched by the governorate to remove rubble, which included Harasta and Daraya. He pointed to preparations for subsequent interventions in Douma, leading to a transition towards rehabilitation and reconstruction stages.
Meanwhile, Zabadani Municipality Council President, Engineer Samir Darwish, noted that the total estimated quantity of rubble in the city, including buildings to be demolished and existing debris, amounts to approximately 300,000 cubic meters. He explained that these figures were recorded based on real estate numbers and their plots, contributing to improving the urban and service reality and restoring the city's tourist status.
The project coincides with the opening of a specialized rubble recycling unit in Daraya, targeting the processing of approximately 30,000 cubic meters of reusable debris. This unit aims to convert debris into materials for infrastructure projects, thereby limiting the environmental impact of destruction waste, providing temporary employment opportunities for local labor, and helping prepare damaged areas for subsequent service and development projects.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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