Idlib City Cemeteries Fencing

Context & Upholding Community Dignity

Implemented in close cooperation and coordination with the "Idlib Governorate" and as part of the "Wafaa for Idlib" (Loyalty to Idlib) Campaign, this vital civic and humanitarian project addresses an urgent community priority in Idlib City. It embodies an expanded vision of early recovery—one that recognizes that rebuilding a society is not solely about paving roads and repairing buildings, but equally about safeguarding spaces intrinsic to community dignity, collective memory, and everyday spiritual and emotional life.

Throughout years of prolonged conflict and neglect, the perimeter walls and surrounding infrastructure of Idlib's municipal cemeteries suffered extensive destruction, structural fractures, and partial collapse. The absence of protective barriers left these historic memorial grounds exposed to trespassing, illegal dumping, and intrusion by stray animals, severely compromising the sanctity and privacy rightfully owed to burial sites and memorial spaces.

Technical Assessment & Damage Survey

Driven by Orient for Human Relief and Developmentand its core commitment to preserving cultural, environmental, and religious landmarks, specialized engineering teams conducted an in-depth structural survey across the targeted cemeteries. The assessment catalogued structural damage and defined precise boundary markers to guide a durable, dignified reconstruction intervention.

Targeted Cemeteries

The project encompassed three prominent burial grounds serving Idlib City and its surrounding neighborhoods:

Key Works & Interventions Implemented

Spanning approximately two months of continuous field execution, the project delivered an integrated package of structural and environmental improvements:

• Reconstruction & Rehabilitation of Perimeter Walls:Rebuilding and reinforcing all damaged and collapsed wall sections with weather-resistant masonry and reinforced concrete at engineered heights, effectively securing the sites against encroachment.
• Fabrication & Installation of Heavy-Duty Iron Gates:Fitting dedicated main and service gates made of durable iron, establishing organized entryways for funeral services and visitors, and securing the sites outside official visiting hours.
• Rehabilitation of Prayer Spaces & Tiled Pathways:Refurbishing internal prayer halls (Musalla) to provide dignified spaces for Janaza (funeral) prayers, including repaving floor tiling, organizing access walkways, and repairing roofs and walls.
• Re-establishing Legal Boundaries & Privacy:Reaffirming official plot borders in coordination with local plans, restoring complete privacy, security, and sanctity to the cemeteries.
• Comprehensive Site Cleaning & Debris Removal:Conducting thorough site clearing operations that removed accumulated refuse and rubble, sealing stray animal entry points, and restoring the civil and environmental dignity of the grounds.

Community Impact & Lasting Outcomes

The completed project successfully restored the sanctity, privacy, and community reverence of Idlib City's cemeteries. The intervention was received with profound gratitude by residents and community leaders, enabling families to honor their departed loved ones in a clean, secure, and peaceful setting while demonstrating that sustainable recovery honors both living infrastructure and community memory.

"Community recovery is not limited to roads and buildings; it also means protecting spaces connected to dignity, memory, and community life."