The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-Habitat, in cooperation with the government of Japan, announced on Tuesday, May 12, the launch of a project to strengthen the operational readiness of Syrian municipalities in support of urban recovery efforts.
The program said the project, titled “Strengthening Municipal Operational Readiness for Urban Recovery in Syria,” will run for 12 months, with $806,666 in funding from the Japanese government.
The project aims to improve municipal services and support recovery efforts for about 870,000 people in affected areas. Around 20 municipal administrative units across seven governorates, Aleppo, Rural Damascus, Homs, Hama, Latakia, Idlib, and Daraa, will benefit through strengthened institutional, technical, and operational capacities to achieve effective recovery planning and improve service delivery.
The project also seeks to enable municipalities to respond to the needs of communities affected by the crisis and displacement through targeted capacity-building programs and the provision of essential tools and equipment, according to UN-Habitat.
Between 120 and 180 municipal employees are expected to be trained in key areas, including geographic information systems (GIS), urban data management, recovery planning, and Housing, Land and Property (HLP) rights.
In parallel, the project will support minor rehabilitation works to restore essential municipal functions, contributing to more effective and resilient local governance.
Although municipalities are the direct beneficiaries, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme said it expects the project to have a positive impact on hundreds of thousands of residents, including returnees, by improving service delivery and strengthening urban governance that supports recovery.
Continued Funding
The government of Japan has previously provided funding to several projects to support reconstruction efforts and strengthen recovery in areas affected by the crisis in Syria.
Japan provided $5.5 million to a United Nations agency to fund a project aimed at improving living conditions in Syria.
The Japanese Foreign Ministry said on August 31, 2025, that the financial assistance program signed with the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-Habitat, on August 12 targeted the cities of Aleppo and Homs, two of the areas most affected in Syria.
The project aims to rebuild basic infrastructure in poor neighborhoods and informal buildings, directly benefiting more than 81,000 people.
In a related context, Japan’s chargé d’affaires in Damascus, Akihiro Tsuji, and the acting resident representative of the United Nations Development Programme in Syria, UNDP, Mohammed Mudawi, signed the Japanese grant memoranda for Syria on February 10.
The grant is worth about $12.4 million and will be used to implement a project to enhance the stability of energy supplies in conflict-affected areas.
Under the agreement, the Japanese government will finance the project, while UNDP will implement it in cooperation with the Ministry of Energy over 24 months.
The Japanese government also contributed 2.08 million euros to the Syria Recovery Trust Fund, reaffirming its long-term partnership in supporting recovery efforts across the country.
This is Japan’s tenth contribution to the fund, bringing its total contributions since the fund’s establishment to 58.51 million euros and strengthening its position as one of the main donor countries.
The funding will help the fund expand its interventions across various sectors, support early recovery efforts, strengthen resilience, and help communities rebuild their livelihoods and restore basic services.
United Nations Human Settlements Programme
The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-Habitat, is a United Nations entity responsible for sustainable urban development. It has programs in more than 90 countries.
Through these programs, it supports policymakers and local communities in creating socially and environmentally sustainable cities and towns.
UN-Habitat promotes transformative change in cities through knowledge, policy advice, technical assistance, and collaborative action.
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