A Nation Returning, A Future Rebuilding by Othman Moqbel 

One year ago, on 8 December 2024, Syria entered a new phase in its long and painful journey. That date marked the beginning of a political transition which, although fragile and incomplete, allowed millions to hope again and to imagine a life beyond the years of uncertainty that reshaped every home, every family, and every institution.

Today, as we mark this first anniversary, Syria stands at a crossroads defined not by the violence of yesterday, but by the struggle to rebuild tomorrow.

At Action For Humanity, formerly Syria Relief, we have worked on the ground in Syria since 2011. We have supported communities through siege, displacement, disease outbreaks, hunger, disaster, and now, through the first cautious steps of recovery. Our just-released report, Returning to Hope: Needs and Challenges in Syria, One Year After the Transition, draws on our operational experience to examine what this moment truly means for Syrians, and where the world’s attention must turn next. 

A Year Defined by Return 

This past year has been characterised not by advancing frontlines but by advancing footsteps: more than one million people have returned to their communities since the transition began. These returnees are parents reopening damaged homes, farmers reclaiming fields, teachers stepping back into classrooms, and children experiencing schools for the first time.

Yet return alone does not equal recovery. The infrastructure that sustained Syria, i.e. water networks, hospitals, schools, electricity grids, now operates at half their former capacity. Public services are strained far beyond their limits. Families often arrive to find their homes damaged, their streets contaminated by explosive remnants of war, and their local markets struggling.

This is perhaps the most important conclusion of our research: humanitarian needs today are shaped not only by the impact of conflict, but by the sheer scale and speed of return into under-resourced environments. Syria is moving forward, but faster than the systems supporting it. 

A Nation Among Rubble and Possibility 

Our report underscores three defining challenges:

The first is economic collapse. More than 90% of Syrians live below the poverty line. Parents struggle to afford food and medicine. Public salaries cannot cover the cost of essentials. This fragility touches every corner of life.

The second is explosive ordnance contamination. More than 650 incidents this year alone, sadly many involving children, illustrate how mines and unexploded remnants prevent safe reconstruction, hinder farming, and undermine the notion of safe return.

The third is overstretched services. Water and sanitation networks, education facilities and health systems have not kept pace with returning populations. Despite enormous effort among authorities and communities, funding and capacity remain insufficient.

These realities could lead easily to despair. But Syria is defined as strongly by its determination as by its devastation.

When I visit our projects in Aleppo, Idleb, Homs or Damascus, I do not hear resignation. I hear resolve. Families do not wait for the world to rebuild their communities; they repair their homes, reopen fields, and share their limited resources. Children continue to attend school, often in damaged buildings, because learning, even interrupted learning, is a form of dignity. 

A Journey We Have Walked Together

For Action For Humanity, this anniversary is deeply personal. We began as Syria Relief in 2011, founded by Syrians and the Syrian diaspora who felt compelled to serve their people when access was limited and despair was rising. From emergency food and medical aid to education, reconstruction and livelihood support, our work has evolved alongside the country’s trajectory - from crisis response to early recovery.

Last year, we rehabilitated water systems that restored safe access for thousands, trained 1,600 teachers, delivered more than 130,000 health consultations, supported farmers with agricultural inputs, and helped returnee communities stabilise. But we do not consider these achievements ours alone. They belong to Syrian communities, to our local staff, and to the families who continue to build even when the world’s attention turns elsewhere.

What This Moment Demands

One year after Syria’s transition, the question is no longer whether Syrians are ready to rebuild — they already are. The question is whether the international community will enable that effort to succeed.

Our report calls for five urgent priorities:

· Explosive ordnance clearance must accelerate; without safe land, there is no recovery.

· Investment in essential services i.e. water, electricity, healthcare, schools must be scaled.

· Livelihoods and market recovery must be supported so people can depend on income, not aid.

· Long-term funding and sanctions flexibility are needed to unlock hospitals, infrastructure, and service delivery.

· Local organisations must be empowered, because recovery happens closest to communities.

These are not abstract policy points - they are the difference between fragile hope and lasting stability.

A Future Worth Building

As a humanitarian organisation rooted in Syria, we carry the privilege and responsibility of proximity. We see the difficulties Syrians face - but we also see their resilience. This anniversary reminds us that Syrians have endured the worst and are working toward the best.

Syria is not finished. Its people are not broken. Its future is not predetermined.

What happens next depends on partnership - on investment in people, in systems, and in safety; on recognising that recovery cannot happen on emergency budgets and fragmented assistance; on understanding that dignity, opportunity, and stability need time to grow.

One year on, Syria stands between ruin and renewal. Its people have already chosen renewal. The world must now choose to stand with them.