Ar-Raqqa – The Syria Recovery Trust Fund (SRTF) and the United Nations Development Programme in Syria (UNDP) announced significant progress made under the “Rehabilitation of Pumping Station and Channels in Ar-Raqqa” project.

The project, worth EUR 764,000 aims to rehabilitate the pumping station and around 8.7 kilometres of the connected irrigation and field channels in Ar-Raqqa. In addition, 13.9 kilometres of agricultural drains will be cleaned in six villages, and 2.8 kilometres of the blocked seasonal rainfall watercourse will be reopened.

The progress, which was done around the project’s main activities, included the completion of 60 percent of the rehabilitation works at the pumping station and irrigation channels. Seventy-five percent of the agricultural drains were also cleaned and 60 percent of the cleaning and reopening of a seasonal rainfall watercourse was completed.

Furthermore, the project will directly benefit 300 farmers (2,100 family members) over the period of 12 months, including post-delivery monitoring. Additionally, around 18,760 people residing in the area will benefit from the agricultural land's reactivation and the drainage system's improvement.

The project will improve the socio-economic conditions of the area residents and support stability and food security by creating job opportunities, increasing returns, maintaining soil fertility and preventing the spread of salinity. It will also reactivate the cultivation of 848 hectares of agricultural land and improve the agricultural drainage system, thereby increasing agricultural productivity and reducing salinization in the area.

For more information about the project, visit: Rehabilitation of Pumping Station and Channels in Ar-Raqqa

About SRTF

The Syria Recovery Trust Fund (SRTF) is a multi-donor trust fund initiated by the Group of Friends of the Syrian People and its Working Group on Economic Recovery and Development. It serves to channel grant funding from the international community in a transparent and accountable manner into projects inside Syria with the objective to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people. Learn more at http://www.srtfund.org

About UNDP

UNDP is the leading United Nations organization fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and planet. Learn more at sy.undp.org or follow at @UndpSyria.

For more information, please contact:

• Dania Darwish, Communications Specialist, UNDP Syria, dania.darwish@undp.org, +963 989857937

• communications@srtfund.org