The Path to a Better Syria: A Secure Peace Will Depend on Economic Revitalization

Karam Shaar and Benjamin Fève explore the profound economic collapse confronting Syria’s new leadership in the wake of the regime’s abrupt fall on 8 December. With Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham overseeing the transitional period, the authors contend that avoiding further instability will require a combination of comprehensive reforms and carefully sequenced international support. They detail the widespread devastation of Syria’s economy and infrastructure, the fragmentation of its governance and currencies, and the displacement crisis within and outside the country. They advocate for the immediate easing of sanctions on critical sectors such as energy and banking, while maintaining that broader relief relating to terrorism should be contingent upon meaningful political reform. The authors emphasize the urgent need to unify Syria’s fractured economic systems, revive private-sector activity, and reintegrate the country into the global economy—warning that inaction could entrench the humanitarian crisis and fuel ongoing regional instability.