Lebanon Needs Over $20 Billion for Post-War Reconstruction, Report Finds

Beirut (ANTARA) - Post-war recovery and reconstruction in Lebanon will require more than 20 billion US dollars (1 US dollar = Rp18,041), according to a policy assessment released on Friday (17/7) by the Beirut-based Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies.

The report estimates physical damage at 6.8 billion US dollars and economic losses of 7.2 billion US dollars, with total direct and indirect losses exceeding 65 per cent of Lebanon’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The report states that Lebanon’s financial collapse in 2019 left the government largely unable to finance reconstruction through traditional means, making the country heavily dependent on international grants and loans tied to long-delayed financial, administrative and institutional reforms.

Lebanese Finance Minister Yassin Jaber said around 200 million US dollars is available as domestic funding to meet post-war emergency needs, although the report notes that this amount represents only a small fraction of Lebanon’s actual requirements and is primarily intended to help attract larger international funding.

The report states that Lebanon’s reconstruction challenge lies not only in securing financial resources, but also in ensuring the country can manage available funds effectively and channel them towards sustainable economic recovery rather than short-term emergency response.