In an article written by the Secretary General Giampaolo Silvestri and published on the Italian newspaper "Corriere della Sera", AVSI urges not to waste any more time and to act immediately in support of the Syrian population, drawing on an in-depth understanding of their needs developed over years of experience in the field. We must implement immediate emergency responses while initiating real reconstruction efforts, starting with education, healthcare, and agriculture.
Originally published here, you can read the translation into English of the full article below.
Syria, starting over by addressing three key emergencies
Having dismantled strict border controls, torn down giant portraits of the president ruling over the past decades, and having the Syrian pound overtaken by euros, dollars, and the Turkish lira, Syria has changed dramatically in just a few hours, leaving many stunned - from geopolitical experts to governments and international agencies monitoring the evolution of the situation. There is no more time to waste: in this sort of interlude, Syrians are hungry, in need of immediate aid, and, most importantly, yearning to lift their gaze toward a broader horizon.
This is an appeal we have tirelessly made over the years at international conferences on Syria: let’s move from emergency responses to early reconstruction efforts, we urged. Distributing food and medical kits is not enough, we argued. It is necessary to start rebuilding infrastructure to lay the foundation for Syria's recovery and create conditions for refugees to return.
However, our proposal fell on deaf ears because the context was deemed unsuitable. Those who dared to speak in favor of reconstruction risked being accused of taking sides in the conflict. Meanwhile, the country has witnessed a generation growing up without access to education, losing millions of skilled professionals - doctors, nurses, teachers, IT specialists, factory workers. The economy has since collapsed, leaving 90% of the population below the poverty line.
We hope to see an authentic and inclusive democracy take root, but in the meantime let’s mobilize our country, that has a special relationship with this region, to contribute meaningfully to Syria’s reconstruction. Let’s lift sanctions on essential goods and dismantle the barriers of over-compliance that have blocked far too much aid until now.
Through our “Open Hospitals” project and the medical dispensaries in Damascus and Aleppo, which have never stopped providing free healthcare, we are in a privileged position to monitor the overwhelming needs of this population, ranging from very tangible issues (bread, electricity...) to the desire to believe in a future of peace.
There are three strategic sectors to invest in: education, healthcare, and agriculture. Our country can offer a significant contribution in each, with expertise, funds, partnerships, and investments.
Let’s rebuild schools, bring 2.5 million children back to class, and address the causes of school dropout by ensuring decent salaries and proper training for teachers. Let’s adapt school curricula to reflect the plural nature of Syrian society. Let’s implement vocational training programs to launch new startups, in collaboration with both Syrian and international private sectors.
Let’s ensure everyone has access to healthcare by rehabilitating facilities damaged by the war and facilitating the return of healthcare professionals.
Let’s revitalize agriculture, which not only ensures food security but also creates jobs and income-generating activities, preventing aid dependency.
Let’s promote a participatory and multi-stakeholder approach in the country, fostering collaboration between institutions, civil society organizations, and private enterprises to design shared development programs and build a society that protects everyone’s right to live as full citizens, free from any form of discrimination.
Let’s invest immediately in economic recovery, a vital precondition for the return of refugees who fled abroad and a deterrent against irregular migration.
Syria can start over, with the help of allies capable of looking beyond the chronic crisis and working toward a collective good. But most importantly, it will require its own citizens, all of them, to stand up again. Let’s not forget them, as they are stand suspended between a shattered past and a future struggling to take a democratic shape.
Let’s act today, tomorrow will be too late.