World Bank approves $250m for Lebanon’s reconstruction

The World Bank said on Wednesday it had approved $250 million in financing for Lebanon under a new $1 billion Lebanon Emergency Assistance Project (LEAP) aimed at kickstarting recovery in areas hit by recent Israeli aggression.

LEAP will focus on restoring critical public infrastructure and services—such as water, energy, transport, health, education, and municipal facilities—while also sustainably managing rubble. The initiative follows a World Bank-led assessment estimating $7.2 billion in damages and $11 billion in total recovery needs from the October 2023 to December 2024 conflict.

Structured as a scalable framework, LEAP is designed to attract further donor contributions through a unified, government-led system focused on transparency and results. The $250 million initial phase will support urgent repairs, design work, and environmental assessments for long-term reconstruction.

The Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR), reformed to meet international standards, will implement the project, with oversight from the Prime Minister’s Office. The Ministry of Public Works and Transport will lead execution, while the Ministry of Environment will oversee rubble management and environmental safeguards.

To ensure integrity, the World Bank will deploy an international engineering firm to oversee technical, social, fiduciary, and anti-corruption compliance throughout the programme.

Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English

Subediting: Y.Yasser