Abo Ahmed starts his daily work around the citadel of Aleppo in northern Syria with worn-out tools, gathering waste from the sidewalks and piling it into tattered bags that he carries on his old iron cart.
Working around ten hours a day, Abo Ahmed, who lives in the al-Maysar neighborhood, depends on donations from some shop owners, who pay him around 30,000 Syrian pounds (approximately 3 US dollars) weekly in exchange for removing the garbage from in front of their stores. He notes that this helps him a little, but it is not enough.
Abo Ahmed calls on the relevant authorities to improve the conditions of sanitation workers, especially in terms of financial compensation, asserting that current wages do not correspond to the effort exerted and the harsh working conditions.
Sanitation workers in Aleppo, who were once municipal employees before the fall of the previous regime, earn between 500,000 and 600,000 Syrian pounds monthly (between 55 and 66 US dollars), according to the head of the Sanitation Department at the Suleimaneyah Services Directorate, Mowafaq al-Akhras.
Despite increasing criticism regarding the deteriorating cleanliness in the city of Aleppo, there’s a harsher reality faced by those working to improve it, as workers struggle with difficult living conditions amid low wages and a lack of resources to accomplish their daily tasks.
Efforts to employ 2,500 workers
The city of Aleppo is facing challenges in the sanitation sector, where waste accumulates in the streets and public squares, while the efforts of sanitation workers remain limited due to a lack of support and clear plans for regular cleaning of neighborhoods.
In previous statements to Enab Baladi, Mustafa Kurunful, the responsible project manager at Aleppo City Council, stated that the council had announced its need to hire 2,500 sanitation workers at a monthly salary of 100 US dollars, but the response had only yielded 800 workers, a number insufficient to meet the city’s complete needs.
He clarified that the severe shortage of labor forces them to work with available resources, negatively impacting the quality of services.
Kurunful emphasized a “significant” shortage of both workers and equipment, pointing out that most vehicles are old and have exceeded their technical lifespan, with some equipment completely out of service.
He added that the sector operates with limited resources that are inadequate for the population and service expansion witnessed in the city post-war.
In turn, Abdul Salam al-Raee, head of the follow-up department at the E-Clean institution, told Enab Baladi that the main difficulties facing their work stem from damaged machinery, indicating that they only operate within the available resources.
He noted that residents have observed an improvement in cleanliness compared to the situation during the previous Syrian regime.
E-Clean is a service institution that started in northwestern Syria in 2022 and has worked on cleaning roads, collecting waste, and recycling, in collaboration with the previous Syrian Salvation Government, which managed service and administrative affairs in areas governed by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
After the fall of the Assad regime, the institution’s work has extended to cover more Syrian cities, most notably Damascus and Aleppo.
For his part, Mowafaq al-Akhras highlighted the importance of shedding light on the sanitation reality, noting the need for citizen cooperation and government support in this field.
He explained to Enab Baladi that current capabilities are very weak, stressing the necessity of transparency in presenting the situation as it is, hoping that media efforts will lead to improvements.
The deterioration of cleanliness is not limited to the eastern neighborhoods severely affected during the war years, such as al-Sakhour, al-Bab Road, al-Haidariya, and al-Shaar, but complaints have recently emerged from neighborhoods that were considered relatively “clean,” like al-Furqan, al-Mokambo, and the Meridian.
Local initiatives: Limited action
In recent months, local initiatives aimed at improving service realities in Aleppo neighborhoods, particularly the eastern ones, have emerged.
Among these initiatives is the “Loyalty to Aleppo” campaign, which began with the participation of youth teams, focusing on cleaning streets, removing rubble, repairing some roads, and painting building facades in areas such as Bustan al-Qasr, al-Sukkari, and Salah al-Din—areas that suffered extensive damage during the war years.
Coinciding with Eid al-Adha, the Governor of Aleppo, Azzam al-Gharib, during a field visit to the al-Shaar neighborhood on June 6, instructed the launch of a comprehensive cleaning campaign following his meeting with several residents at the “Light of the Martyrs” mosque and listening to their complaints regarding the deteriorating service situation in the neighborhood, as reported by Enab Baladi.
The campaign kicked off on the morning of June 7 and lasted several hours, covering main streets and side alleys, with commitments to continue until the neighborhood is completely cleaned.
The activities included waste removal, street cleaning, and the disinfection of vital locations as part of efforts to improve environmental conditions and enhance basic services, according to announcements made by the governorate.
Aleppo: Shortage of sanitation workers and worn-out equipment Enab Baladi.
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