Rebuilding Lives Urban Recovery Strategies in Conflict-Affected Arab States

The Arab region is marred by profound social and political fragility, evidenced by the prevalence of revolutions, major protests, and wars over the past decade. This vulnerability is compounded by climatic changes, water scarcity, desertification, and the impact of COVID-19, prompting concerns from neighboring regions. With 21.2 million displaced people, including 8.9 million refugees, the region shoulders a significant burden of displacement. Of these, 7.4 million refugees originate from within the region, underlining Arab countries' pivotal role in absorbing displaced populations. Moreover, the region hosts 40 million migrants, exacerbating the need for social protection and straining government resources. Urban areas bear the brunt of displacement, with approximately 60% of refugees and 80% of IDPs residing in cities. Notably, urban refugees constitute 100% of total refugees in Iraq and Lebanon, and 99% in Egypt, and 80% in Jordan. In Palestine, urban refugees make up 96% of total war refugees, with over 1.7 million IDPs in the Gaza Strip alone. The destruction of homes and civil infrastructure in conflict zones, such as Palestine, Iraq, and Syria, has reached alarming levels, resulting in unprecedented debris accumulation. For comparison, the density of debris in Gaza City exceeded 300 kg/sq.m, whereas it was 21 kg/sq.m in Mosul, Iraq, and 74 kg/sq.m in Aleppo, Syria. The deployment of the Urban Recovery Framework (URF) in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Palestine, particularly in Gaza, has played a crucial role in enhancing responses to urban crises. The URF facilitates effective recovery by clarifying governance arrangements, policies, coordination mechanisms, and financing instruments necessary for immediate and medium-term interventions while fostering longer-term resilience. By unpacking the complexity of urban systems, the URF enables tailored responses, bridging the Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus. These lessons can inform urban responses in other conflict-affected cities, regions, and countries. Given the Arab region's significant credit access gap, limiting investment in sustainable development, such insights are crucial. This event aims to establish norms, foster consensus, and promote durable solutions for housing issues in alignment with the 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goal 11. Additionally, it seeks to encourage South-South and triangular cooperation while advocating for the Arab region's priorities on the global stage.