Gaza Faces Unprecedented Housing Destruction, UN Compares to WWII Aftermath

The United Nations has released a report detailing the severe destruction of housing in Gaza, likening the scale of devastation to that not seen since World War II. According to the report, if the conflict that began with Hamas's surprise attack on southern Israel on October 7 were to cease today, it would take until at least 2040 to rebuild the homes destroyed in Israel's bombing and ground offensive. The social and economic fallout from the war is described as growing "in an exponential manner," with casualties reaching 5% of Gaza's 2.3 million population. Over 33,000 Palestinians have been reported killed, more than 80,000 injured, and approximately 7,000 missing since the conflict's onset.

United Nations Development Program Administrator Achim Steiner emphasized the escalating costs of the war on Gazans and Palestinians at large. The UNDP and the UN Economic Commission for Western Asia's joint report highlights the dire economic conditions in Gaza, where 201,000 jobs have been lost and the economy shrank by 81% in the last quarter of 2023 alone. Abdallah Al Dardari, UNDP's regional director for Arab states, revealed at a UN press conference that nearly USD 50 billion in investments have been obliterated, plunging 1.8 million Palestinians into poverty.

Gaza has faced stringent blockades by Israel and Egypt since Hamas's takeover in 2007, exacerbating pre-war economic challenges such as hyper-unemployment rates. The war has significantly regressed Gaza's Human Development Index by over two decades, with the productive basis of its economy nearly destroyed. The report estimates a staggering 51% decrease in Gaza's GDP for 2024.

The extent of physical destruction includes at least 370,000 housing units damaged, with 79,000 completely destroyed. Despite previous reconstruction efforts post-Israel-Hamas conflicts averaging 992 units a year, the current level of devastation requires a monumental increase in construction material allowance by Israel to achieve rebuilding targets by 2040.

Al Dardari compared the current situation to the aftermath of World War II, highlighting the immense challenge of removing 37 tons of debris to make way for temporary shelters and essential structures. He outlined a preliminary estimate for an early recovery program spanning three years to cost between USD 2 billion and USD 3 billion, aiming to restore some normalcy for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians.

The overall reconstruction cost for Gaza is projected between USD 40 billion and USD 50 billion. However, Al Dardari stressed that immediate efforts are focused on planning for early recovery. A meeting led by UN senior humanitarian and reconstruction coordinator for Gaza, Sigrid Kaag, with representatives from 22 UN agencies discussed plans for initial recovery efforts. Al Dardari emphasized the importance of a Palestinian-centred and led recovery framework, owned by the Palestinian people themselves.