World Bank: Rebuilding Syria After 13 Years of War Could Cost $216 Billion

TDT | Manama

Email : editor@newsofbahrain.com

The price of rebuilding Syria after more than a decade of devastating conflict could soar to $216 billion, according to a new World Bank report released on Tuesday — a staggering figure that underscores the colossal task facing the country’s new Islamist authorities following the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December.

The report, which spans the period from 2011 to 2024, provides a sobering assessment of the war’s toll on Syria’s infrastructure, economy, and human capital. It reveals that nearly one-third of Syria’s pre-war capital stock has been destroyed, with direct physical damage estimated at $108 billion.

“Infrastructure alone absorbed almost half the total damage — about $52 billion — making it the hardest-hit sector,” the report said, noting that the destruction of roads, energy facilities, and water systems will take decades to repair.

The conflict, which erupted in 2011 after Assad’s violent crackdown on pro-democracy protests, spiraled into one of the world’s deadliest and most complex wars. Over 500,000 people were killed, and millions were displaced, leaving cities like Aleppo and the Damascus countryside in ruins. These regions, once vibrant centers of trade and culture, became epicenters of destruction under relentless bombardment.

The World Bank’s projections place the total cost of physical reconstruction between $140 billion and $345 billion, with a “conservative best estimate” of $216 billion.

As Syria enters a new political chapter, the report highlights a grim reality: rebuilding a nation shattered by 13 years of conflict will demand not only money — but also stability, international cooperation, and trust in a government yet to prove its legitimacy to its people and the world.