A UN delegation, headed by Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Alexander De Croo, visited Syria on Wednesday under the auspices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, accompanied by several officials, to assess needs and priorities through field visits and meetings with officials in several areas of Damascus and its countryside.  Members of the delegation began their visit with a tour to Jobar neighborhood in Damascus to witness the extent of the destruction and devastation caused by the bombing of the deposed regime. They also visited the wastewater treatment plant in the town of Zabdin in Damascus eastern countryside, which was rehabilitated by the UNDP and reopened at the end of last year.  “Today, Syria is one of the most prominent places in the world facing difficulties,” De Croo said, adding that years ago, it was said that its reconstruction was impossible, but today’s reality proves it is possible, with the return of more than 1.6 million Syrians to the country,” De Croo added.  He explained that infrastructure reconstruction is ongoing despite the challenges, along with the rehabilitation of energy systems and the reopening of healthcare and education departments, noting that UN organizations have been partners in these efforts and will continue to be.  For his part, Minister of Emergency and Disasters Management, Raed al-Saleh, said that the importance of the visit lies in its role to tackle the issue of landmines, debris removal, and preparing the infrastructure for reconstruction, in addition to its contribution to placing the UN delegation at the heart of the current situation in Syria.  Al-Saleh indicated the programs that the UN might offer will contribute to supporting those operations carried out by the Syrian government in all provinces.  “The UN delegation’s visit to Syria represents an important beginning, as it includes the Administrator of the UNDP and the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, who came together from New York,” Olabi said.  He added that the visit comes within the framework of working to transform the Syrian file—currently considered solely a humanitarian file—into a development and reconstruction file, integrating the two aspects. (ICE BEIRUT)

Fonte notizia: Syrian Arab News Agency