UN Plans to Provide $1.3 Billion in Aid to Syria

UN Assistant Secretary-General Abdullah Al-Dardari said the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) plans to provide $1.3 billion in aid to Syria over three years to support sectors such as rebuilding infrastructure and supporting digital startups.

Al-Dardari, who is also the UNDP's Assistant Administrator, told Reuters during a visit to Damascus that investing in Syria is seen as a "global public good."

Syria was severely affected by the 14-year conflict that ended with opposition fighters ousting former President Bashar al-Assad in an offensive in December, forcing him to flee the country.

"Our full plan for Syria over three years is $1.3 billion. This is not just a number, but a comprehensive strategy that covers all aspects of support," Al-Dardari said.

He added that the aid could include the introduction of artificial intelligence, the development of social protection programs, and the rebuilding of infrastructure.

Al-Dardari stressed the need to raise funds from various sources, such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, as well as from other countries in the region, such as Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

In addition, sources told Reuters that a meeting on Syria, hosted by the Saudi government and the World Bank, will be held on the sidelines of the annual meetings of the IMF and World Bank in Washington in the coming days.

He added that this sends a signal to the rest of the world and to the people of Syria that these two institutions are ready to provide support.

Reuters reported last week that Saudi Arabia intends to repay approximately $15 million of Syria's arrears to the World Bank, paving the way for potential grants worth millions of dollars for reconstruction and other economic support to Syria.

Sources have since told Reuters that the Saudis have already repaid these amounts.

He told Reuters that the repayment of these amounts will allow the World Bank to support Syria through its International Development Association, which provides funds to low-income countries.

Al-Dardari added that this is crucial for Syria's negotiations with the World Bank, pointing to the IMF's Special Drawing Rights and the technical and policy assistance the World Bank and IMF can provide to Syria.

Since the ouster of President Assad last year after a nearly 14-year civil war, the new Syrian administration has been calling on the international community to lift the sanctions imposed on Damascus during his rule.

So far, most of those sanctions remain in place, and the United States and other Western countries say the new authorities have yet to demonstrate their commitment to peaceful and inclusive governance.

Syria holds $563 million in Special Drawing Rights at the IMF. However, the use of these funds requires the approval of IMF members holding 85% of the total votes, giving the United States, with 16.5% of the votes, effective veto power.

Reuters reported this month that the Syrian finance and foreign ministers and the governor of the Central Bank of Syria are scheduled to attend the spring meetings this week.

This will be the first visit by a high-level Syrian government delegation to the meetings in at least two decades, and the first high-level visit by the new Syrian authorities to the United States since Assad's ouster.