Idlib – Samah Alloush
Walid al-Mohammad’s expectations failed, and he was disappointed to find no intact walls or roof for his home from which he was displaced after the previous Syrian regime’s forces entered his city, Kafranbel, in southern Idlib, in 2020.
After the regime’s fall, al-Mohammad stood before the ruins of his destroyed house, trying to count what he needed in terms of materials, but was shocked by the extent of the devastation; all the walls were cracked and devoid of electrical installations, and there was no roof, as the regime’s forces had destroyed it and removed the iron.
With simple calculations, al-Mohammad found himself forced to sell a piece of his land to secure the costs of rebuilding his home, racing against time especially with the rising prices of construction materials in the markets.
Ultimately, al-Mohammad decided to rebuild his house gradually by himself, saving on labor costs and purchasing some materials as he had the money, until he completely finishes building it, freeing himself from the “nightmare” of paying rent at the beginning of the month, which burdens most displaced people and increases their suffering.
Some returnees to their homes are confronted with a large magnitude of needs, and those wishing to renovate face the prices of construction materials, which have gradually increased in northern Syria since the February 2023 earthquake, followed by the fall of the Syrian regime on December 8, 2024.
Sequential increases… Prices in dollars
After the earthquake that struck southern Turkey and four Syrian governorates in February 2023, construction material prices witnessed consecutive rises in northern Syria, due to the increased demand for rehabilitating and rebuilding what was destroyed or supporting the damaged buildings.
Following the regime’s fall, some displaced persons returned to their towns and villages, only to find their homes nearly destroyed, leaving them no choice but to fill in what remained and rebuild anew (for those who had the money), causing construction costs to double and material prices to rise gradually due to increased demand and diminished supply.
Regarding the prices and differences, construction contractor Engineer Kamal al-Din Shawy stated to Enab Baladi that the price of a ton of steel has increased from 610 US dollars to 670 dollars (7 million Syrian pounds) in the northern Syrian areas after the regime’s fall, attributing this to increased customs fees.
He noted that the price of cement has increased by 20 dollars per ton, as it was priced at 103 dollars, and is now at 123 dollars per ton.
The engineer added that the prices of materials such as gravel and sand have risen by 20%, due to increased labor costs, heightened demand for materials, and the unavailability of improved diesel fuel, with vehicle owners resorting to this fuel due to its lower price (0.698 dollars per liter), compared to around one dollar for European fuel.
The price of a water tank has risen from 6 to 7 dollars for the same reason, and the price of building blocks has increased by 25%, going from a piece costing 0.2 US cents to 0.25 cents today.
Fees… Factories in production
The interim Damascus government justified the unification of customs fees at the crossings by supporting the industrial sector and attracting investment (customs fees were raised in northwestern Syria while reduced in regime-held areas).
Engineer Hussam Faouri, director of the General Company for Cement Industry and Marketing of Building Materials in the central region, mentioned that the Hama Cement Plant “Number 3” has resumed work and production, selling its product directly without any restrictions or conditions, while warning at the same time about the presence of non-conforming cement in local markets.
Faouri stated that the Hama Cement Plant had stopped working and producing on December 5, 2024, and the Ministry of Economy worked on reviving it and returning it to operation.
On February 23, the plant was reactivated, relying on the skilled workers, with some maintenance performed during the halt, and it is currently reaching a production capacity of 1,700 tons of clinker daily, with plans to reach 2,500 tons of clinker in the coming days, according to Faouri.
Despite the recent resumption of production at the plant, the production capacity remains low compared to the magnitude of needs, as stated by building materials merchants during an Enab Baladi tour.
Merchants indicate that the cement from the plant is characterized by its high quality and lower price than imported cement, with the price being 100 dollars per ton (in bulk) and 105 dollars per ton packed.
Rising costs and labor wages
The enthusiasm of residents to reconstruct their homes remains low due to high costs, according to Omar, a resident of the city of Saraqib, noting that the reconstruction of his three-room house with a garden could reach 6,000 dollars without finishing, which is a large amount for most returning displaced individuals who have exhausted their savings over the past years between rent, lack of job opportunities, and constant relocations.
Reconstruction and building operations have raised labor wages, which used to be no more than four dollars at best per day; as confirmed by Abdullah al-Asaad (a construction worker), wages have now ranged between 7 and 12 dollars, according to the contractor or the type of construction and hours worked daily.
Al-Asaad has to travel daily for work in the countryside of Idlib and Hama far from where he resides in the city of Idlib, considering that the wage increase is justified and logical due to the extra effort and the difficulty of travel, along with rising market prices.
More than 90% of Syrian families live below the poverty line, while at least 13 million people (over half the population) suffer from the inability to access sufficient food or afford its cost, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW).
Syrians face difficulties in returning to their destroyed towns and villages, and extensive sanctions negatively impact reconstruction efforts; it is estimated that Syria needs more than 250 billion dollars to rebuild the country, including infrastructure, basic services, and economic recovery.