Arabian Post Staff -Dubai
Beirut’s landscape, battered by the 14‑month Hezbollah–Israel war, is set for a critical transformation as the World Bank green‑lights a US$250 million financing package to support urgent restoration and rubble management. Dubbed the Lebanon Emergency Assistance Project, this initiative marks the initial phase of a US$1 billion, government‑led framework aimed at breathing life back into vital public infrastructure and essential services.
Damage and needs assessments conducted between 8 October 2023 and 20 December 2024 estimate total conflict losses at US$7.2 billion, with an overarching reconstruction requirement of US$11 billion. Of this, approximately US$1.1 billion pertains to infrastructure across transport, water, energy, municipal services, education and healthcare – the precise sectors that LEAP will target for immediate interventions.
Jean‑Christophe Carret, the World Bank’s Middle East director, described LEAP’s design as “a credible vehicle for development partners to align their support, alongside continued progress on the Government’s reform agenda, and maximise collective impact in support of Lebanon’s recovery and long‑term reconstruction”. The financing will fund rapid repairs to lifeline services, sustainable clearance of rubble prioritising recycling, and initial design and environmental studies for longer‑term rebuilding.
By adopting a data‑driven, area‑based prioritisation endorsed by the Council of Ministers, LEAP aims to balance speed with social and economic impact in the worst‑affected regions. To ensure accountability and effective delivery, Lebanon has initiated reforms within the Council for Development and Reconstruction, including the appointment of a fully functional board and streamlined processes consistent with international emergency‑response standards.
Operational oversight will be bolstered by an international private‑sector engineering firm, responsible for compliance monitoring across technical, environmental, fiduciary and AML/CFT requirements. Implementation rests under the strategic guidance of the Prime Minister’s Office, with the Ministry of Public Works and Transport leading execution and the Ministry of Environment overseeing social and environmental safeguards, especially debris handling.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam welcomed the funding as “a key step in reconstruction… reinforcing recovery efforts within a state‑led framework and paving the way for much‑needed additional financing”.
The World Bank has previously confirmed that this initial contribution is part of a US$1 billion scalable fund, with $250 million already committed and plans for donor contributions to fill the remaining $750 million. Lebanon has already secured preliminary approval to raise the World Bank loan to $400 million, signalling growing momentum for the broader rehabilitation agenda.
LEAP emerges at a juncture when Lebanon, in the grip of one of its most severe financial crises in modern history, is balancing a recovery from war with deep‑rooted economic collapse. Nearly three‑quarters of its population live in poverty, the currency has collapsed by over 90 % since 2019, and public services have all but collapsed. The project’s prioritisation of transparency, environmental best practice, and governance reform offers a fresh test of Lebanon’s capacity to channel international finance into tangible, equitable recovery.
Meanwhile, the World Bank is coordinating with multilateral and bilateral donors, aligning its initial funding with evolving Lebanese reforms. The ultimate success of LEAP depends not only on reconstruction dollars, but on effective institutional stewardship—a challenge Lebanon’s government has pledged to embrace.
