More than half of Syrian capital destroyed in civil war

World Today

Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, who won a landslide victory in polls last month, faces a fresh term filled with challenges. The war-torn country lies in ruins, with an UN-sponsored report estimating damages mounting to $134 billion.

Reconstruction efforts have begun in parts of the country, but as our correspondent Alaa Ebrahim reports, the road to recovery will be long.

A cable manufacturing company is one of 9,000 industrial facilities that have been destroyed during the Syrian civil war. The source of livelihood for 1,500 workers, government troops are now in control of the industrial complex but it’s still unknown when operations will resume.

A little closer to the Syrian capital Homs, reconstruction efforts have begun. But there is still a long way to go before a sense of normalcy returns to the city.

Homs was considered the heart of the insurgency. Fighting here lasted more than three years, with at least 60 percent of the city destroyed. The city’s main touristic attractions and religious sites suffered extensive damage.

The government regained control of the old city district after 22 months of siege. But the cost was very high: infrastructure is heavily damaged and all the water, power and sewage systems have to be rebuilt.

It is hard to imagine that this area was once the commercial hub and the bustling downtown of Syria’s third largest city. This is Beit Alga restaurant, or what is left of it. During the course of the civil war, it was used by rebels as a command center and as a bomb-making facility.

Today, there are a couple of tables and chairs set out in a bid to attract customers. But it’s clear that much remains to be done before residents here feel once more at home. CCTV’s Alaa Ebrahim reports.

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Over 60 percent of Homs destroyed in civil war

Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, who won a landslide victory in polls last month, faces a fresh term filled with challenges. The war-torn country lies in ruins, with an UN-sponsored report estimating damages mounting to 134 billion dollars.