Writer: Hussein Cheaito
In the wake of the 2024–2025 Israeli assault on Lebanon, the question of reconstruction has re-emerged as an urgent national priority. Yet this is not reconstruction as the country has previously known it. Unlike earlier moments of crisis—such as the aftermath of the 2006 war or the 2020 Beirut Port explosion—the present moment is characterized by a profound convergence of military destruction, financial collapse, institutional paralysis, and geopolitical volatility. For Lebanon, rebuilding is not only about replacing lost infrastructure; it is about navigating the structural impossibility of recovery with little state legitimacy, inclusive governance, or fiscal capacity.
As the Arab Watch Coalition (AWC), a regional network committed to monitoring international financial institutions (IFIs) and advancing justice-oriented fiscal policy in the Arab region, we assert that reconstruction must be understood not simply as an act of rebuilding, but as a test of political will, public accountability, and economic fairness. As such, AWC has engaged consistently with IFI staff and stakeholders (such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund) on Lebanon’s reform trajectory.
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