The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) marked the start of rehabilitation works at Az-Zabdani bakery in Rural Damacus. This initiative, part of the US$5 million Joint Implementation Programme for Rehabilitation of Damaged Bakeries in Syria Project funded by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through KSrelief, reaffirms both organizations' shared commitment to sustainable recovery and reconstruction efforts in Syria.
The contribution will directly benefit around 1.4 million people in eight of Syria's fourteen governorates, particularly areas hosting high concentrations of internally displaced persons, returnees, and vulnerable populations .
Engineer Ahmed Saleh Al-Amro, Director of the Rehabilitation Department at King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSRelief), said: "We believe that supporting bakery rehabilitation efforts and the recovery of food infrastructure is an investment in Syria's future, aimed at empowering local communities to become self-reliant and achieve sustainability. Every step toward enhancing food security brings us closer to building a more stable and prosperous future for the Syrian people, as human nourishment remains a core focus for creating stability and a primary goal of development."
By rehabilitating the 33 bakeries, this initiative will increase bread production capacity from 265 tons to 473 tons per day. This will help ensure an adequate supply to meet the needs of local communities. Installing two mobile bakeries and introducing 13 modern production lines will also result in improved bread quality, meeting higher standards of consistency, hygiene, and nutritional value.
Before sustaining damage, the Az-Zabdani Bakery produced up to eight tons of bread daily for more than 24,000 people across five surrounding villages. Once rehabilitation works are completed on the basement and ground floor, the bakery will resume operation with an expanded capacity of 12 tons a day, with modern production lines ensuring better quality.
UNDP Deputy Resident Representative, Dr Rawhi Afaghani thanked KSrelief for their contribution to UNDP. "Today marks an important step in our partnership with KSrelief. By restoring this bread production lifeline, we are securing the most essential food commodity for families, which is bread, and creating jobs in communities most affected by the crisis. Together, we are helping Syria move forward and recover," he added.
Rehabilitation works, expected to be completed over a period of 14 months, will create job opportunities and enable 350 bakers to operate and maintain the upgraded facilities, ensuring longer-term functionality. Beyond improving livelihoods, this initiative represents a vital step in strengthening food security and recovery across Syria.
