Hind Kabawat is the minister of Social Affairs and Labour in the Syrian government [Getty]
Syria must move from emergency relief to long-term development to tackle poverty and humanitarian needs, Social Affairs and Labour Minister Hind Kabawat said on Saturday, as the government seeks to address worsening living conditions across the country.
Speaking to The New Arab on the sidelines of the fifth Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Antalya, Kabawat said the shift was essential to easing the suffering of Syrians and restoring stability.
“We carried out a revolution of dignity in the past, and today we want to realise the principles of that revolution. We are thinking first and foremost about the Syrian people,” she said, referring to widespread hunger and deteriorating conditions in displacement camps.
Kabawat stressed that “reconstruction is not only about rebuilding homes, but also about rebuilding people”, adding that meeting basic needs and tackling poverty were central to achieving justice and stability.
“If we want to achieve political stability and provide security, Syrians must feel they are part of this system and the strategy we are working on,” she said.
She outlined a government approach which she said was focused on expanding social protection to marginalised groups, including orphans, returnees, people with disabilities, widows, the families of disappeared detainees and the poor.
“We must think about social protection and marginalised groups… All these are marginalised groups, and we must have dedicated social protection programmes for them,” she said.
Kabawat also emphasised the importance of employment in reducing poverty, noting that the ministry “was forced to terminate many contracts, but at the same time found alternatives through training programmes that open the door to new employment opportunities”.
She said the government had established committees on social protection and poverty reduction, and was working on plans to facilitate the return of people from camps for the internally displaced.
“We are thinking about how to bring people back from the camps and how to find them jobs,” she said, adding that a rural development centre had been opened near Latamneh in Hama province to create job opportunities for women.
“Supporting people is not only about giving them money. The government is working to move from relief to development,” she said.
However, Kabawat acknowledged that funding remained the biggest obstacle to implementing these plans.
“The biggest obstacle is funding. Despite the lifting of sanctions, funding and money have not yet arrived. International organisations have addressed this issue, but nothing has changed so far,” she said.
“There are modest efforts, and we thank our Arab brothers, especially Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Everyone is standing with us, even European countries, but we can no longer wait.”
She added that “the Syrian people feel that the honeymoon period after victory is over”, stressing the need to prioritise poverty reduction.
“This does not require one ministry, or two, or even 20 ministries, but a state in which everyone works without thinking of personal interests, and where the interests of the Syrian people come first,” she said.
Kabawat also confirmed plans to close displacement camps by the end of 2026 following a presidential decree.
“A presidential decree has been issued to end the camps by the end of 2026,” she said.
“We are working to reach the end of the year with no camps remaining. We are focusing on rural development, youth centres, and vocational training for those returning from camps so they can begin rebuilding their homes.”
