The World Bank issued a press release on June 25, 2025 in which it announced that it approved granting $250 million in financing to Lebanon to help with the reconstruction of damaged critical public infrastructure, lifeline services, and the sustainable management of rubble in conflict-affected areas. According to the press release, the “Lebanon Emergency Assistance Project” (LEAP) will prioritize interventions in an endeavor to maximize the economic and social impact within the shortest possible timeframe and provide a phased approach to response, recovery, and reconstruction. The World Bank’s Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA) report had estimated the damages across 10 sectors at $7.2 billion between October 8, 2023 and December 20, 2024 and the reconstruction & recovery needs at $11 billion. In addition, the RDNA estimated the damages to critical infrastructure and buildings at around $1.1 billion across the transport, water, energy, municipal services, education, and health care sectors. Accordingly, and taking into consideration the scale of needs, LEAP was designed to assist with the restoration of public infrastructure and buildings, which is a precondition to economic and social recovery as per the World Bank. In a related note, Mr. Jean-Christophe Carret, the World Bank’s Middle East Division Director, noted that given Lebanon’s large reconstruction needs, LEAP is structured as a $1 billion scalable framework with an initial $250 million contribution from the World Bank, noting that said framework offers a mechanism for development partners to provide their support to Lebanon’s recovery and long-term reconstruction. The press release commented that the World Bank financing will support instant response activities needed to accelerate recovery and create favorable conditions to return to normality. Finally, the press release added that urgent support will also be granted to the quick repair & recovery of essential services namely water, energy, transport, health, education, and municipal services.