After more than a decade of bloody civil war and widespread destruction, the new Syrian government of Ahmed al Sharaa is seeking to rebuild the country. 

In late April, Saudi Arabia and Qatar announced they would provide $15 million to pay off Syria’s debt to the World Bank. Damascus hopes for further concessions, including sanctions relief from Western powers, as it looks to reconstruct bombed-out infrastructure and create jobs for a war-weary population. 

For Anwar Taha al-Zoubi, the governor of Daraa province, located 90 kilometres south of Damascus, the challenge of reconstruction comes with a backlog of painful historical burden. 

“Daraa needs comprehensive reconstruction,” Governor Anwar Taha al-Zoubi tells TRT World. “Its destruction was a form of collective punishment.”

Daraa, often called the birthplace of Syria’s revolution, stands today as one of the country’s most devastated cities.

In an exclusive interview with TRT World, Governor Anwar Taha al-Zoubi emphasised that the struggle now is not only about rebuilding, but about reviving a nation devastated by war, sanctions and external threats.

“Resources are limited, but we are striving for coordinated efforts to rebuild. There is local human resource, underground wealth, and a strong will to rise again,” he says.

Delivering a message of resilience and urgency, his words mark a turning point in Syria’s narrative.

Rebuilding amid threats and sanctions

According to al-Zoubi, Daraa today has about 1.3 million residents, down from around 1.6 million before the revolution. Following the fall of regime control, many residents returned, but between 300,000 and 400,000 remain abroad—in Türkiye, Jordan, the UAE and Europe.

“Our top priorities are to rebuild schools to prevent dropouts and receive returnees, and rehabilitate health centres to provide basic medical care. Without these, families will hesitate to return,” he says.

Today, the challenge is reconstruction. Al-Zoubi emphasised the need to rebuild the nation from the ground up.

“Most Syrian families want to return to their original homes and live the lives they had before the war. But the challenges are immense… The poor infrastructure prevents mass return.”

Even as threats persist and resources remain scarce, al-Zoubi underlined the power of unity. “While international sanctions make it harder for individuals and institutions to help, the determination of local and diaspora communities—including business leaders—shows that support will find its way despite the obstacles.”

Al-Zoubi said that recent Israeli military actions threaten to destabilise the region further. He accused Israel of exploiting Syria’s security vacuum to push normalisation efforts under the guise of aid delivery. Residents in Daraa, he said, rejected Israeli aid left at their doorsteps and burned it.

“This is a public stance: Syrians reject any normalisation with the occupying Israeli entity,” he says. “We cannot accept help from one hand that kills our brothers and offers aid with the other.”

From resistance to governance

Born in the town of al-Taybeh in eastern Daraa, Anwar Taha al-Zoubi is both a native son and a product of the revolution that began in his homeland. 

After the Assad regime collapsed on December 8th, 2024, al-Zoubi served as a mediator in the newly established transitional government. He helped navigate the early stages of political reconstruction before being appointed governor of Daraa.

In June 2018, Assad redeployed the military to the south, breaking the de-escalation zone brokered between the US, Russia and Jordan in 2017. The regime’s brutal air bombardment displaced over 270,000 civilians.

It was then al-Zoubi was among those forcibly displaced to northwestern Syria. There he studied political science at Idlib University before returning with a mandate to help rebuild his home province. 

Like much of Syria’s war-torn landscape, Daraa bears some of the deepest scars. Entire neighbourhoods were razed, homes destroyed, streets emptied, and vital infrastructure shattered. 

“Despite this, the Syrian people have proven their resilience,” al-Zoubi says. “For 14 years, they’ve endured not only the regime’s oppression but also the involvement of Russian and Iranian forces and sectarian militias. And still, they stand firm. By God’s will, the people of Syria will rebuild the country quickly,” he says.

Türkiye’s role in Syrian reconstruction

During a recent visit to Daraa, Turkish Ambassador to Syria, Burhan Koroglu, stressed Ankara’s broad, multi-sectoral commitment to Syria’s future.

“The Turkish state, with all its institutions and under the guidance of our President, is working to help Syria rise again,” he tells TRT World. “We are working for Syria’s future—rebuilding infrastructure, supporting education and healthcare, restoring vital institutions.” 

Türkiye’s involvement, he said, spans ministries, municipalities, universities and aid organisations. Bringing them all together to restore essential services. He cited the Turkish Health Ministry’s recent assessment of Syria’s healthcare system, which found a severe shortage of medical equipment.

“We are currently working to supply it,” Koroglu said, adding that two hospitals—a cardiac centre in Damascus and a cancer hospital in Aleppo—were selected as symbolic starting points.

“All aid efforts welcomed”

On the ground, Turkish humanitarian work is already underway.

The Fetih Humanitarian Aid Foundation, a Turkish NGO active in Syria since the early days of the war, delivered 1,500 aid packages to families in Daraa on April 17th. It became the first Turkish NGO to reach the area, continuing longstanding efforts to support families and orphans.

Zehra Turkmen, head of the foundation’s women’s branch, told TRT World that Fetih has begun repairing schools and hospitals, supported by Turkish donors, while conducting needs-based assessments.

Governor al-Zoubi welcomed these initiatives and called for more.

“We call on all organisations to come to Daraa. The needs are many, but the will to rebuild is strong. Priorities should be clearly addressed, starting with education and healthcare, to allow people to live with dignity and help others return.”

He added that Turkish efforts, already proven effective in northern Syria, give hope that Daraa, too, can be revived.