 "A photo taken from the southern Lebanese area of Marjayoun, shows smoke rising from buildings in the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Kila during an Israeli army operation in the village. AFP")
The World Bank said Wednesday (June 25) it has approved major funding packages for Lebanon and Syria to support reconstruction efforts following recent conflicts, with a combined total of nearly $400 million aimed at repairing infrastructure and restoring critical services.
Lebanon will receive $250 million in financing to help rebuild vital public infrastructure and manage debris in areas devastated by last year’s war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group. The conflict, which escalated into a full-scale war in September 2024, ended with a ceasefire in late November but left widespread destruction across southern and eastern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs.
The World Bank has previously estimated Lebanon’s post-war reconstruction and recovery costs at approximately $11 billion. Jean-Christophe Carret, the Bank’s Middle East regional director, said the newly approved support is the first phase of a $1 billion scalable framework to address the country’s needs.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam welcomed the funding as “a key step in reconstruction” and said it would strengthen government-led recovery efforts while enabling access to additional financing.
Lebanon, already grappling with a prolonged economic crisis since 2019, is relying heavily on foreign aid to fund its post-war rebuilding efforts.
Syria to receive $146 mn for power sector rehabilitation
In a separate announcement, the World Bank said it has approved a $146 million grant to Syria to rehabilitate its electricity sector, which has been severely damaged during the 14-year civil war. The funding, sourced from the International Development Association, will go toward restoring high-voltage transmission lines and substations, as well as acquiring maintenance equipment and spare parts.
Carret described the rehabilitation of Syria’s power infrastructure as “a critical, no-regret investment” that could improve living conditions, support the return of displaced people, and contribute to economic recovery.
The grant marks the first step in what the World Bank described as a larger plan to assist Syria in post-war recovery. The announcement comes after Saudi Arabia and Qatar pledged to repay Syria’s World Bank debts, clearing the way for renewed international support following the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024 and the subsequent lifting of many Western sanctions.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsThe United Nations estimates the total cost of Syria’s reconstruction at more than $400 billion.
With inputs from agencies