Northeast Syria’s critical infrastructure was severely damaged after years of armed conflict and ISIS occupation.

Now, with the support of U.S. Agency for International Development’s Syria Essential Services II project, local authorities are restoring services for their communities while planning for the future. 

For almost two years, USAID supported local governance bodies within the Raqqa Civil Council (RCC) to repair damaged water pumping stations, power stations, and irrigation networks while empowering locals to deliver essential services to their communities.

Part of USAID’s support includes working with the local Syrians from the RCC to develop investment plans for the water, power, and agriculture sectors.  

Members of the RCC used these investment plans to attract other donors to support high-priority projects that will restore essential services to help stabilize Syria.

USAID’s Water Investment Plan was presented to donors and non-governmental organizations. From that, two NGOs invested in repairing Raqqa’s main drinking water line, thus restoring access to clean water to people in the war-ravaged city.  A third NGO rehabilitated the region’s water treatment plant.

In turn, this USAID support to local councils leveraged donor resources to restore potable water to over 350,000 people.

“We used the same methodology and added new areas to attract further support and investment to the region,” which is critical for long-term stabilization efforts in northeast Syria, said an RCC water office representative.

After the RCC Energy Committee presented the Electricity Investment Plan, developed with USAID support, an international development firm agreed to rehabilitate a power line to provide electricity to 70,000 people living south of Raqqa. Other donors are reviewing this model of private sector engagement in regards to the Electricity Investment Plan as they develop their early recovery and stabilization strategies for northeast Syria.

Working together––locals, NGOs, the private sector, and USAID––make sure the people of Syria are empowered to continue planning for the future.