UN: $70 billion needed to rebuild Gaza

International Desk

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) said on Tuesday that nearly $70 billion will be needed to rebuild Gaza after two years of devastating war, while aid agencies said that enough aid was still not reaching the beleaguered Palestinians.

Almost no part of the Gaza Strip, which is only 41 kilometers long and 2 to 5 kilometers wide, has escaped the devastation of Israeli airstrikes, which continued until the temporary ceasefire that began last Friday.

Jako Cilliers, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)’s special representative for Palestine, said that 84 percent of Gaza has been reduced to rubble, and in some areas, especially Gaza City, the rate has reached 92 percent.

He told a press conference from Jerusalem that the joint “Interim Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment” report by the United Nations, the European Union and the World Bank estimated the damage in Gaza at $70 billion. Of this, at least $20 billion will be needed over the next three years to begin the initial phase of reconstruction.

The United Nations and partner agencies are currently working to provide emergency assistance to 2.1 million people in Gaza — including clean water, medical supplies, emergency employment, waste removal, and the removal of unexploded bombs hidden in the rubble.

“So far we have removed about 81,000 tonnes of debris, which is the equivalent of about 3,100 truckloads. The main objective is to open up access for humanitarian aid and to secure social service facilities, including hospitals,” Cilliers said.

He added that Arab states, European countries and the United States have given positive signals in the reconstruction effort, especially in terms of cooperating with initial recovery efforts.

But UN humanitarian agencies have again called on Israel to open all crossings into Gaza, following the release of the last 20 surviving Israeli prisoners on Monday and the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israel.

The development comes after the signing of a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on Monday evening in the presence of US President Donald Trump and the leaders of Egypt, Qatar and Turkey.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the prisoner release, calling it “significant humanitarian progress” two years into the crisis that began with the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.

The International Committee of the Red Cross began the process of handing over the bodies of the dead prisoners on Tuesday. It is not yet clear how many bodies will be returned. “This is a complex and sensitive process, but we are ready,” said ICRC spokesman Christian Cardon.

Meanwhile, humanitarian agencies said the situation in Gaza remains “extremely complex and fluid.” More than 300,000 Palestinians have begun returning to Gaza City since last Friday, following a ceasefire.

“The international community’s optimism and promises of support following the ceasefire are not being reflected on the ground. Sufficient aid is not reaching Gaza,” said UNICEF spokesman Ricardo Pires.

Israeli authorities have allowed 190,000 tons of aid to enter Gaza, but the United Nations and its partners say this is far short of the aid needed.

“We spoke to 22 heads of state in Sharm el-Sheikh, urging them to take all necessary measures to ensure the flow of aid,” OCHA spokesman Jens Laerke told Reuters.

Meanwhile, aid distribution in Gaza remains difficult. The ICRC said Palestinians are being injured or killed while collecting aid in many areas. “Now we have to make sure that aid reaches the people — people no longer have to go to the aid,” Cardon said.