Syria and World Bank announce agreement to establish START fund
Syria and the World Bank announced on 18 October 2026 an agreement to establish a multi-donor recovery and reconstruction fund called START. The announcement does not constitute a disbursement.
According to the statement presented by SANA and reported by The National and Qatar’s QNA, the mechanism is intended to offer concessional financing, investment guarantees, technical assistance and institutional capacity support.
The World Bank is to administer the fund with donors and development partners, following priorities set by the Syrian authorities. The project was discussed alongside the World Bank and IMF annual meetings in Thailand.
Partners expressed support for the initiative. However, the consulted articles do not specify initial available funding, a final list of contributions or the date of first payments. The documented step remains an announced agreement on the mechanism.