WB puts Syria's reconstruction estimations at $216 billion!

On October 21, the World Bank stated that Syria requires $216 billion for post-war reconstruction, according to a report presenting a rapid assessment of infrastructure and building assets from 2011 to 2024.

In its press release, the Bank noted that the conflict damaged one-third of Syria’s pre-war capital stock. Direct physical damage to infrastructure and residential and non-residential buildings is estimated at $108 billion:

• 48% infrastructure ($52 billion)
• 52% buildings: residential ($33 billion), non-residential ($23 billion)

The most affected areas are Aleppo, Rural Damascus, and Homs.

The report estimates that reconstruction costs for damaged assets could range between $140 and $345 billion, with a conservative best estimate of $216 billion:

• $75 billion for residential buildings
• $59 billion for non-residential facilities
• $82 billion for infrastructure

Aleppo and Rural Damascus require the largest share of reconstruction investments.

Jean-Christophe Carret, Regional Director for the Middle East at the World Bank, stated that the Bank is ready to work with the Syrian people and the international community to support recovery and reconstruction efforts.

According to a previously published report on Syria’s macroeconomic and public finance conditions, real GDP declined by 53% between 2010 and 2022. In nominal terms (current dollar value), GDP shrank from $67.5 billion in 2011 to $21.4 billion in 2024.

Syrian Finance Minister Mohammad Barniya urged the international community to mobilize support and forge partnerships to help Syria restore essential infrastructure services, revive local communities, and lay the foundations for a more resilient future.

The Bank’s statement concluded by noting that the report’s findings are subject to significant uncertainty due to methodological constraints linked to the prolonged duration of the conflict. It is a macro-level estimate of damage and reconstruction costs.

Syria has emerged from 14 years of devastating war, which began with popular protests against the Assad regime in 2011 and later escalated into armed conflict. The regime was overthrown on December 8, 2024, with the former president fleeing to Russia, following hundreds of thousands of deaths and millions of refugees and internally displaced persons.

In addition to barrel bombs and ballistic missiles, external parties to the conflict—including Russia, Iran, and the U.S.-led international coalition against ISIS—caused extensive destruction in Aleppo, Homs, Rural Damascus, Raqqa, and Deir ez-Zor, as well as in Daraa, Idlib, and across the country’s rural areas.

On June 24, the World Bank granted Syria $146 million to support its collapsed electricity sector. Meanwhile, Arab countries including Qatar and Saudi Arabia increased their aid and investments in Syria, resulting in slow but noticeable improvements in infrastructure. Despite harsh Western sanctions, the country is undergoing reconstruction and debris removal efforts that have rehabilitated hundreds of schools, hospitals, and roads. One million external refugees and an equal number of internally displaced persons have returned to their cities and towns, with more planning to follow.

Syria – News Report