Syria's $216 Billion Rebuilding Challenge: A Nation's Path to Recovery

The World Bank estimates that rebuilding war-torn Syria will cost around USD 216 billion, nearly ten times the nation's 2024 GDP. The conflict decimated crucial infrastructure and housing. Despite efforts to restore diplomatic ties and secure investments, financial struggles and poverty continue to impede recovery efforts.

The World Bank has put a staggering price tag on Syria's reconstruction, estimating the cost at approximately USD 216 billion. This revelation follows more than a decade of civil war that started in 2011 with protests against then-President Bashar Assad, leading to a devastating conflict that ravaged the nation's infrastructure.

Key areas such as Aleppo and Damascus countryside, scenes of intense battle, are highlighted as requiring substantial investment. The World Bank predicts that while reconstruction costs range from USD 140 billion to USD 345 billion, their safest best guess is USD 216 billion, with infrastructure repairs alone requiring USD 82 billion.

In spite of restored international relations and investment forays from the West and Gulf countries, Syria remains mired in financial woes. The nation's poverty rate is estimated at 90%, exacerbated by cuts to international aid, underpinning the enormity of the recovery challenge ahead.

(With inputs from agencies.)