Reconstruction Loses Momentum
Building and renovation work across Daraa has slowed in recent weeks as the cost of materials and fuel climbs. In the town of Izra', most construction has stopped, and some residents have paused projects ahead of winter.
The slowdown follows a stretch of rising activity in the preceding period, leaving contractors and households weighing whether to press ahead or wait.
Costs That Doubled
Labor wages have risen by more than 200 percent compared with the period just after the area was retaken, according to figures cited locally. Construction costs in Izra' have roughly doubled since projects first began.
Higher fuel prices are described as the main driver, feeding into nearly every stage of building work, from quarrying and haulage to on-site labor.
Gravel and Transport
Gravel-based materials such as sand and crushed stone have risen more sharply than iron and cement. These are quarried in the Rif Dimashq countryside and are heavily exposed to transport costs, which track fuel prices closely.
Because these inputs travel long distances before reaching Daraa, each increase at the pump is passed through to the final price of a building.
Who Is Still Building
Much of the remaining activity is driven by Syrians returning from abroad, who are better able to absorb the higher prices. Residents living in the area say construction has become hard to afford on local incomes.
Several projects have been shelved temporarily, with owners waiting for conditions to ease rather than commit to work at current costs.
Conditions for Recovery
Reviving reconstruction is tied to steadier fuel prices and building materials priced within reach of household incomes. Without both, activity is expected to remain subdued through the colder months, when demand for rebuilding homes is otherwise at its highest.