Over $50 billion needed for reconstruction of Gaza, says UN 

New York (Web Desk/Agencies): A joint report from the United Nations (UN) and the European Union (EU) has revealed the shocking scale of destruction caused by Israeli actions in Gaza, estimating that the region will require over $50 billion for recovery and rebuilding.

This assessment, which covers damage and losses across nearly every sector of the Palestinian economy, draws from data collected between October 2023 and October 2024.

A prior UN report had suggested that the recovery costs for Gaza would exceed $53 billion, with an immediate need of around $20.5 billion within the first three years.

“The report estimates the recovery and reconstruction needs in the short, medium, and long term across the Gaza Strip at $53.142 billion. Of these, the near-term needs in the first three years are estimated to be around $20.568 billion,” stated UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in his briefing.

Damage assessments from the UN Satellite Center (UNOSAT) also revealed that by December 1, almost 69% of the buildings in Gaza had been damaged or destroyed, with a total of 170,812 buildings affected.

The UN health agency further confirmed that just 18 of the 36 hospitals were functioning at partial capacity, with a total of 1,800 beds available.

Meanwhile, UNICEF reported that almost 88% of schools in Gaza, or 496 out of 564 registered facilities, were damaged, with 396 of them directly hit by bombardment.

Images taken by UNOSAT on September 26, 2024, revealed that 68% of Gaza’s agricultural land, covering 103 square kilometers, had been severely damaged due to the ongoing conflict. 
In North Gaza, the agricultural land damage reached 79%, and in Rafah, it stood at 57%.

This destruction has left agricultural assets such as irrigation systems, livestock farms, orchards, and machinery either damaged or completely ruined, with damage estimates ranging from 80% to 96%, as per a report by the UN Conference on Trade and Development.

In terms of infrastructure, the road network of Gaza has also been severely impacted, with around 68% of the region’s roads—totaling 1,190 kilometers—destroyed, according to a preliminary analysis conducted by UNOSAT on August 18.