New York, Sept. 24 (SANA) Syria presented its “No Camps” vision to the international community as a roadmap focused on preparing return areas, restoring essential services and creating job opportunities to enable the voluntary, safe and sustainable return of displaced people.
The vision was outlined during a high-level symposium organized by Syria’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly session, titled “Regional Stability, Security and Sustainable Return: The Imperative of a Camp-Free Syria.”
Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management Raed al-Saleh summarized the approach, saying: “Our goal is not to remove the camps, but to remove the need for them.”
From response funding to recovery solutions
Al-Saleh told SANA that the government is working to establish new partnerships that shift international support from financing emergency responses to funding long-term solutions, including mine clearance, rubble removal, rehabilitation of infrastructure and restoration of basic services.
“We do not need to improve conditions inside camps; we need our people there to return safely, with dignity, voluntarily and sustainably to the areas they were forcibly displaced from,” he said.
The Syrian approach aligns with calls from international organizations to move toward more sustainable responses to displacement. International Organization for Migration Director General Amy Pope said success requires government engagement, political commitment and a shift from humanitarian assistance toward sustainable solutions.
Preparing areas for return
Al-Saleh said the government launched 300 projects last week in parts of Aleppo, Hama and Idlib countryside to improve roads, water networks, healthcare services and other basic needs that support the return and stabilization of residents.
He added that efforts are underway to secure additional funding to expand projects, rehabilitate infrastructure and create employment opportunities.
The projects are part of a government plan launched under Decree No. 59 of 2026, which established a committee headed by the Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management to prepare infrastructure in war-damaged areas ahead of returns.
Safety as the foundation of return
UN Development Program Administrator Alexander De Croo said returning home is not the end of displacement but the beginning of recovery, noting ongoing work in Syria to remove rubble and mines and restore healthcare services.
UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher called for turning the “No Camps, No Tents” framework into practical implementation, while UN High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih highlighted the return of 1.8 million displaced Syrians from neighboring countries and stressed the need to support recovery, economic revival and reintegration efforts.
Syria as a partner in recovery
The Syrian initiative goes beyond seeking funding by promoting partnerships based on shared expertise and strengthening local capabilities.
Al-Saleh said the government is working to attract expertise and build Syrian capacities, while also sharing experience gained during years of emergency response with other countries. He cited the participation of Syrian rescue teams in earthquake response efforts in Venezuela.
Commitment to voluntary and sustainable returns
Al-Saleh stressed that the government would not force any family to return, saying its responsibility is to create conditions that make tents unnecessary.
“Providing these conditions is not merely a task, but a commitment by the government,” he said.
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