Latest news with #reconstruction
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Syria's electricity recovery project receives $146m grant
The World Bank's board of executive directors has sanctioned a grant to strengthen Syria's power sector. A $146m grant from the International Development Association (IDA) aims to revitalise reliable, affordable electricity in war-torn regions, aiding in Syria's broader economic resurgence. The country faces an acute energy crisis due to the extensive damage and neglect suffered by its transmission and distribution infrastructure since 2020. Syria's protracted conflict has left its national grid severely impaired, with most areas receiving only two to four hours of electricity daily. This scarcity hampers vital services such as water supply, healthcare, agri-food production and housing development. The newly announced Syria Electricity Emergency Project (SEEP) will focus on reconstructing high-voltage lines and transformer substations that have been ravaged by conflict. Key 400kV interconnector lines linking Jordan and Türkiye are set for repair under SEEP, restoring critical regional connections while also addressing local needs near demand centres heavily populated by refugees returning home or displaced internally. World Bank middle east division director Jean-Christophe Carret stated: "Among Syria's urgent reconstruction needs, rehabilitating the electricity sector has emerged as a critical, no-regret investment that can improve the living conditions of the Syrian people, support the return of refugees and the internally displaced, enable resumption of other services such as water services and healthcare for the population and help kickstart economic recovery. "This project represents the first step in a planned increase in World Bank support to Syria on its path to recovery and development." Beyond physical repairs, SEEP extends technical assistance for strategic planning within Syria's electric sector. It encompasses policy reform guidance alongside regulatory advice aimed at ensuring medium- to long-term sustainability. Capacity-building measures are also planned for institutional stakeholders responsible for implementing these strategies. Overseeing this endeavour is the Public Establishment for Transmission and Distribution of Electricity (PETDE), which will coordinate rehabilitation efforts across various facets of electrical infrastructure. An international consultancy will be engaged by PETDE to provide multifaceted expertise from engineering services to environmental oversight, and ensure compliance with World Bank standards. To further ensure transparency and adherence to high operational benchmarks, a third-party monitoring agent will be appointed by the bank. This entity will enhance fiduciary surveillance along with environmental and social checks while offering expanded implementation support designed to fortify overall project management capabilities within PETDE. "Syria's electricity recovery project receives $146m grant" was originally created and published by Power Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Zawya
2 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
World Bank approves $250mln for Lebanon to rebuild war-hit infrastructure
BEIRUT - The World Bank has approved $250 million in financing for Lebanon to aid in the reconstruction of critical public infrastructure and the management of rubble in areas affected by the war, the organisation said on Wednesday. (Reporting by Jana Choukeir and Maya Gebeily; Editing by Alison Williams)
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Syrian architect uses drone footage to help rebuild hometown
Syrian architect Abdel Aziz al-Mohammed could barely recognise his war-ravaged village when he returned after years away. Now, his meticulous documentation of the damage using a drone helps to rebuild it. "When I first came back, I was shocked by the extent of the destruction," said Mohammed, 34. Walking through his devastated village of Tal Mardikh, in Syria's northwestern Idlib province, he said he could not recognise "anything, I couldn't even find my parents' home". Nearly half of Tal Mardikh's 1,500 homes have been destroyed and the rest damaged, mainly due to bombardment by the former Syrian army. Mohammed, who in 2019 fled the bombardment to near the Turkish border, first returned days after an Islamist-led offensive toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December. The architect, now based in Idlib city, had documented details of Tal Mardikh's houses and streets before fleeing, and afterwards used his drone to document the destruction. When he returned, he spent two weeks carefully surveying the area, going from home to home and creating an interactive map showing the detailed conditions of each house. "We entered homes in fear, not knowing what was inside, as the regime controlled the area for five years," he said. Under the blazing sun, Mohammed watched as workers restored a house in Tal Mardikh, which adjoins the archaeological site of Ebla, the seat of one of ancient Syria's earliest kingdoms. His documentation of the village helped gain support from Shafak, a Turkey-based non-governmental organisation which agreed to fund the reconstruction and rehabilitation of 434 out of 800 damaged homes in Tal Mardikh. The work is expected to be completed in August, and includes the restoration of two wells and sanitation networks, at a cost of more than one million dollars. - 'Full of hope' - Syrians have begun returning home after Assad's ouster and following nearly 14 years of civil war that killed over half a million people and displaced millions of others internally and abroad. According to the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, more than 600,000 Syrians had returned home from abroad, while around 1.5 million internally displaced people have gone back to their regions of origin. The agency estimates that up to 1.5 million Syrians from abroad and two million internally displaced people could return by the end of this year. Around 13.5 million currently remain displaced internally or abroad, according to UNHCR figures for May. In Tal Mardikh, Alaa Gharib, 45, is among only a few dozen residents who have come back. "I lived in tents for seven years, and when liberation came, I returned to my village," said Gharib, whose home is among those set for restoration. He is using a blanket as a makeshift door for his house which had "no doors, no windows, nothing". After Western sanctions were lifted, Syria's new authorities are hoping for international support for post-war reconstruction, which the UN estimates could cost more than $400 billion. Efforts have so far been limited to individuals or charities, with the government yet to launch a reconstruction campaign. Architect Mohammed said his dream was "for the village to be rebuilt, for people and life to return". He expressed hope to "see the Syria we dream of... the Syria full of hope, built by its youth". ohk-lk/nad/lg/ami/tc
LBCI
3 days ago
- Business
- LBCI
PM Salam welcomes World Bank's $250 million emergency assistance package
Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam announced on Wednesday that he welcomes the World Bank Board's approval of the Lebanon Emergency Assistance Project (LEAP), a $250 million support package aimed at reconstruction in areas damaged by the war. In a post on platform X, the Prime Minister said the funding represents 'a key step in reconstruction by addressing damage to vital infrastructure and essential services.' He emphasized that the project will reinforce Lebanon's recovery efforts within a state-led implementation framework and help the country attract much-needed additional financing.
Arab News
3 days ago
- Business
- Arab News
Lebanon's economy to benefit from World Bank's $250m recovery boost
JEDDAH: Lebanon's battered infrastructure and strained public services are set for a boost, as the World Bank has approved $250 million to launch a broader $1 billion recovery and reconstruction initiative. In a statement on Wednesday, the World Bank announced that its board of executive directors had approved the funding a day earlier under the Lebanon Emergency Assistance Project. The project follows a phased approach to address response, recovery, and reconstruction, focusing on prioritizing and sequencing interventions to achieve maximum economic and social impact in the shortest possible time. Since October 2023, Lebanon has experienced renewed turmoil due to escalating cross-border violence between Hezbollah and Israeli forces in the country's south, which has severely damaged civilian infrastructure and disrupted essential public services. 'The Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment of the impact of the conflict in Lebanon between Oct. 8, 2023, and Dec. 20, 2024, estimated total direct damages across 10 sectors at $7.2 billion, and reconstruction and recovery needs at $11 billion,' the bank said in its press release. It added that around $1.1 billion in damage had been sustained by key infrastructure and facilities vital to public well-being and economic activity. Affected sectors include transportation, energy, water, healthcare, education, and municipal services. 'Considering the scale of needs, the LEAP was designed to support restoration of public infrastructure and buildings, given this is a precondition to economic and social recovery,' the release explained. According to a separate World Bank report released earlier this month, Lebanon's cumulative gross domestic product had contracted by nearly 40 percent since 2019. Meanwhile, the Lebanese pound has lost more than 98 percent of its value, driving triple-digit inflation through 2023. The study highlighted how the collapse of the banking sector and the currency's crash turned Lebanon into a dollarized, cash-based economy worth $9.8 billion — about 45.7 percent of GDP in 2022. 'The conflict has introduced another shock to Lebanon's already crisis-ridden economy. While the economic contraction was anticipated to bottom out in 2023, following five years of sustained sharp contraction, the conflict and its spillovers have had negative knock-on effects on economic growth in 2023, continuing into 2024,' the report said. It further noted that since July 2023, the Lebanese pound has stabilized at 89,500 to the US dollar, which helped bring inflation down to double digits in 2024 for the first time since March 2020, following three consecutive years of triple-digit inflation. Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam welcomed the news on social media, writing on his X account: 'I welcome the World Bank Board's approval of the $250 million Lebanon Emergency Assistance Project, which represents a key step toward reconstruction by addressing damage to critical infrastructure and essential services in areas affected by the conflict.' He added that the assistance reinforces national recovery efforts within a government-led implementation framework and paves the way for attracting further much-needed financing. Jean-Christophe Carret, the World Bank's Middle East division director, said: 'Given Lebanon's large reconstruction needs, the LEAP is structured as a $1 billion scalable framework with an initial $250 million contribution from the World Bank and the ability to efficiently absorb additional financing — whether grants or loans — under a unified, government-led implementation structure that emphasizes transparency, accountability, and results.' Carret noted that the framework offers a credible platform for development partners to align their support with Lebanon's reform agenda and amplify the impact of long-term recovery efforts. According to the statement, the financing will enable immediate interventions to fast-track recovery and return to normalcy. This includes the safe and efficient handling of rubble to maximize recycling and reuse. To ensure timely implementation, the government has undertaken key reforms within the project's implementing body, the Council for Development and Reconstruction, the statement said. It added that LEAP will be carried out under the strategic guidance of the prime minister's office, with coordination across relevant ministries through the Council of Ministers. The Ministry of Public Works and Transport will oversee project implementation, while the Ministry of Environment will monitor environmental and social compliance, including rubble management.
