According to UN experts, the rebuilding of Palestinian homes that were destroyed during Israel’s attack might take until the year 2040, in the best-case scenario. However, the UNDP has noted that based on the reconstruction rate, compared to the pattern of numerous past conflicts, it would take “approximately 80 years to restore all the fully destroyed housing units” in Gaza.
More than 1.7 million people were displaced due to war starting in October 2023. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), the recent conflict has resulted in around 300,000 partially damaged housing units, 32 destroyed hospitals, 341 damaged mosques, 3 damaged churches, and many other highly damaged structures.
As of April 2024, it was reported that at least 5% of the population in Gaza had been killed and severely injured. Additionally, around 7,000 individuals were missing.
“Gaza has witnessed an almost complete destruction of economic activity in all sectors,” said Aya Jaafar from the UN’s International Labour Organization (ILO). According to ILO, 200,000 jobs have been lost in Gaza. Also, according to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)’s AbdelHakim Elwaer, “many in the north do face a serious situation of malnutrition, starvation with some of the population classified as being hit with famine.”
“Over 50 percent of all agriculture assets have been destroyed, so massive investment will be needed,” said Elwaer. “We need to recover what’s been damaged, rebuild capacity, and then hope the private sector will re-engage.” Also, as Palestine’s biggest sector, the construction sector experienced a substantial decline of 75.2%.
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