The ongoing Israel-Hamas war has caused catastrophic damage in Gaza, reversing development progress by 60 years. Achim Steiner, head of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), highlighted the immense challenges in rebuilding the region, citing a massive financial and logistical effort that will take decades.
Widespread Destruction in Gaza
The war has left Gaza in ruins, with two-thirds of its buildings either destroyed or severely damaged. Steiner estimated that about 42 million tonnes of rubble need to be cleared—a dangerous and complex task.
“Probably between 65 percent to 70 percent of buildings in Gaza have either been entirely destroyed or damaged,” Steiner shared during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Beyond the visible destruction, Gaza’s critical infrastructure has been decimated. “Two million people who are in the Gaza Strip have lost not only their shelter: they’ve lost public infrastructure, sewage treatment systems, freshwater supply systems, public waste management. All of these fundamental infrastructure and service elements simply do not exist,” Steiner added.
The human impact of the devastation is immeasurable. “Human desperation is not just something that you capture in statistics,” he emphasized.
Rebuilding Gaza Will Take Years
The fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas began on Sunday, but Steiner cautioned that reconstruction efforts will span decades.
“When we talk about reconstruction, we are not talking about one or two years here. We are talking about years and years until you even come close to rebuilding, first of all, the physical infrastructure, but it’s also an entire economy,” he said.
The war has wiped out personal savings, businesses, and livelihoods, leaving a vast economic void. “People had savings. People had loans. People had invested in businesses. And all of this is lost,” Steiner explained.
The estimated cost of physical reconstruction alone is “tens of billions of dollars,” posing significant challenges in securing the necessary funding. “We do face an enormous uphill struggle on how to mobilize that scale of finance,” Steiner admitted.
Extraordinary Scale of Rubble and Danger In Gaza
Clearing Gaza’s rubble is not only a logistical challenge but also a dangerous one. The debris may contain unexploded ordnance, landmines, and unrecovered bodies, complicating the process.
“This is not a simple undertaking of just loading it and transporting it somewhere. This rubble is dangerous,” Steiner said.
One possible solution is recycling. “With reconstruction, there is a significant degree to which you can recycle these materials and use them in the reconstruction process,” Steiner noted. In the short term, temporary dumpsites will be established to store the rubble safely.
Immediate Needs and Temporary Solutions For Gaza
While long-term reconstruction is vital, immediate temporary infrastructure is urgently needed. “Virtually every school and every hospital has been either severely damaged or destroyed,” Steiner reported.
The enduring ceasefire could pave the way for international aid, but Steiner warned that the current situation remains precarious.
The war’s impact has devastated not only Gaza’s infrastructure but also its people’s spirit and resilience. Rebuilding will require immense global cooperation, long-term commitment, and innovative solutions.
As Steiner concluded, “It’s an extraordinary physical destruction that has happened,” underscoring the enormous challenges ahead for Gaza’s recovery.