UN plans to provide $1.3B in aid to Syria

ISTANBUL

The UN Development Programme (UNDP) is hoping to provide $1.3 billion in aid to Syria over three years, including infrastructure rebuilding and digital start-ups support, Gulf Times reported on Sunday.

UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Assistant Administrator Abdullah al-Dardari said in a press statement during his visit to Syria's capital of Damascus that these investments constitute a "global public good."

He stated that establishing social protection programs and introducing artificial intelligence (AI) may be helpful, adding that it would be essential to get funding from a variety of sources, such as the World Bank, the IMF, and numerous regional nations.

The new Syrian government is working to remove international sanctions imposed during the reign of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who was overthrown in December 2024.

Syria needs tens of billions of dollars in investment and technical support, which is impossible with such severe sanctions in place, Dardari said, adding that sanctions continue to be "a considerable obstacle" to the country's growth trajectory.

While the World Bank is looking into hundreds of millions of dollars in grants to upgrade Syria's electrical system and assist the public sector, Dardari said the UNDP has obtained a sanctions exemption from the US Treasury to mobilize up to $50 million to restore the Deir Ali power plant south of Damascus.