World Bank says over $200 billion needed to rebuild Syria after civil war

The World Bank reported that rebuilding Syria after more than a decade of civil war is expected to cost around $216 billion—nearly ten times the country’s 2024 gross domestic product, as noted by AFP.

Syria’s conflict began in 2011 when mass protests against then-President Bashar Assad were met with a brutal government crackdown, escalating into armed conflict. Assad was ousted in December during a rapid rebel offensive.

The war devastated large areas of the country, severely damaging key infrastructure, including the electrical grid.

The World Bank estimates that the overall cost of rebuilding could range between $140 billion and $345 billion, with their “conservative best estimate” set at $216 billion.

Of this, rebuilding infrastructure alone is expected to cost $82 billion. Residential damages are estimated at $75 billion, while non-residential structures will require $59 billion.

Aleppo province and the Damascus countryside, which saw some of the fiercest fighting, are projected to need the largest investments, the assessment said.

“The challenges ahead are immense, but the World Bank stands ready to work alongside the Syrian people and the international community to support recovery and reconstruction,” said Jean-Christophe Carret, the World Bank’s Middle East Director.

Despite re-establishing diplomatic ties with Western countries and signing investment deals worth billions of dollars with Gulf states since Assad’s ousting, Syria continues to face severe economic difficulties.

While the United States and Europe have lifted many sanctions imposed during the Assad era, the effect on the ground has so far been limited.

Cuts to international aid have further worsened living conditions, with the United Nations estimating that 90% of Syria’s population now lives in poverty.

By Aghakazim Guliyev