Syria's post-war recovery will require 'substantial' international support, says IMF

Syria needs international support for economic recovery, humanitarian aid, and infrastructure rebuilding following years of conflict.

Syria will need “substantial international" support for its efforts to rehabilitate the economy, meet urgent humanitarian needs, and rebuild essential institutions and infrastructure, the International Monetary Fund said Tuesday.

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Syria cannot afford hundreds of billions of dollars of damages and losses from the conflict that first started as protests in 2011 against former President Bashar Assad's totalitarian government.

Since current President Ahmad al-Sharaa led an insurgency that ousted the Assad dynasty in December 2024, countries have gradually restored ties with Syria.

During a five-day visit by the IMF in early June — the first to Syria by the 191-country lending organisation since 2009 — its team met with officials from the public and private sectors, notably the Finance Minister and Central Bank Governor.

“Syria faces enormous challenges following years of conflict that caused immense human suffering and reduced its economy to a fraction of its former size,” the IMF said. “While the years of conflict and displacement have weakened administrative capacity, staff at the finance ministry and central bank demonstrated strong commitment and solid understanding.”

Some 6 million people fled Syria during the conflict, and the United Nations estimates that 90 per cent of those who stayed lived in poverty and relied on humanitarian aid to survive. Half a million people were killed in the conflict.