Damascus, May 8 (SANA) The Syrian Development Fund‘s Q1 2026 performance report showed significant progress in the fund’s strategic foundation phase, with total pledges and donations reaching $83 million and actual collections exceeding $41 million as of March 31, representing a 46 percent collection rate against registered pledges — a figure the fund described as indicative of its transition from the institution-building stage to operational readiness.
In a statement to SANA, the report said the first quarter of 2026 saw the establishment of the fund’s institutional and operational frameworks, the adoption of financial and administrative policies, and the development of a multi-sector program portfolio.
More than 45 development initiatives were identified in partnership with Saudi government agencies and Syrian ministries, with the second quarter of 2026 set to include the official signing of agreements and the commencement of project implementation in June.
The report outlined the scale of Syria’s humanitarian and economic crisis within which the fund operates: approximately 15 million people require assistance to meet basic needs, cumulative economic losses are estimated at $800 billion, more than 80 percent of the population lives below the poverty line, unemployment exceeds 50 percent nationally and 60 percent among youth, more than half of hospitals are operating below capacity or out of service, over two million children are out of school, more than 20 percent of housing units have been damaged or destroyed, half of water networks are non-functional, 12 million people face food insecurity, and there are six million refugees and seven million internally displaced persons.
Financial breakdown
Total pledges and donations registered through the fund’s official platform since its launch on September 4, 2025 reached approximately $83 million.
Collections were recorded in multiple currencies: $36.4 million in U.S. dollars, approximately 53.2 billion old Syrian pounds, €4,526, 1,275 Turkish liras, and 500 Saudi riyals. Among the most notable contributions paid during Q1 2026 were $3.5 million from the Khayyat family — bringing their total paid contributions to $21 million — $700,000 from the Ashrafi family, $400,000 from Loyal Company, and $290,000 from Mohammad Hassan al-Salloum.
The report also noted outstanding unpaid commitments, including $20 million from an auction of the deposed regime vehicles, $10 million from Wafiq Saeed, and $1 million each from the White Room Group, Ahmad and Omar Hamcho, and the Mahamid tribe. It flagged a relative concentration of funding among major donors, calling for a broader donor base to ensure long-term sustainability.
Governance and partnerships
On governance, the report cited the development of oversight systems and institutional policies, while noting challenges including uneven pledge collection rates, operational complexity, limited data availability, exchange rate instability, and legal hurdles. It also referenced coordination with international bodies including the World Bank’s IFC, UNDP, UN-Habitat, UNHCR, the Saudi Fund for Development, GIZ, and ACSAD. The fund’s stated priorities going forward are health, education, economic empowerment, and infrastructure, with a focus on transitioning to full implementation through its first funding allocation cycle.
The Syrian Development Fund (SYDF) was officially launched at Damascus Citadel on September 4, 2025, and draws on individual donations from inside and outside Syria, recurring contributions through a standing donor program, and grants and institutional endowments.
Kh.A
