Japan Commits USD5.5M for Housing Improvements in Syria

(MENAFN) Japan is committing $5.5 million to the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat) to fund critical housing improvements in Syria, media reported Sunday.

On August 12, Japan and UN-Habitat finalized an aid agreement targeting the reconstruction of essential infrastructure in Aleppo and Homs, two cities devastated by years of conflict. The project, revealed by the Japanese Foreign Ministry, aims to upgrade slums and informal settlements.

Highlighting Syria’s ongoing "serious humanitarian situation" and the increasing return of refugees, the ministry emphasized that ensuring safe living conditions has become a "pressing issue." UN-Habitat stressed that prolonged warfare has deprived these communities of fundamental services including water, electricity, and sanitation.

As of July, over 746,000 Syrians have returned from neighboring countries, alongside 1.5 million internally displaced persons, according to the Nairobi-based agency. The initiative "will directly benefit more than 81,000 individuals," it stated.

Before the 2011 civil war, informal settlements accounted for about 40% of Syria’s urban population, UN-Habitat reported.

The Japanese Foreign Ministry added that roughly 16.5 million of Syria’s 23.2 million citizens currently require humanitarian aid.

Japan remains a major contributor to Syria’s recovery, having donated over $21 million since 2022 for UN-Habitat projects aiding vulnerable groups.

In a dramatic turn last December 8, Syrian President Bashar Assad, who ruled for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after opposition forces led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham swiftly seized Damascus.

Earlier this year, a new transitional government under President Ahmad al-Sharaa was established to oversee Syria’s future governance.

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