A fifth of Gaza has been destroyed

Almost a fifth of Gaza has been destroyed during the war between Hamas and Israel.
This is calculated by the UN’s satellite analysis agency Unosat.
– People don’t have a roof over their heads. It is a danger, of course. These buildings can collapse, says Johan von Schreeb, professor of disaster medicine.

It was on October 7 that the war broke out when Hamas attacked Israel. The estimate that 18 percent of Gaza’s infrastructure is destroyed comes from satellite images taken on November 26 over the Gaza Strip. Among the eliminated infrastructure are 25 of the country’s 36 hospitals. Of the eleven hospitals that are still functioning, help is limited. The two largest have an occupancy of 300 percent.

– It is a danger, of course. People cannot provide any health care.

Schools hard hit

In addition to 25 hospitals, 342 schools in the area have also been damaged, which corresponds to 69 percent of the schools. Several are used as protection for the population.

– When you see your home being destroyed, your school falling apart and your hospital, it’s a trauma. Enormous burdens that the population has to bear, says von Schreeb.

Therefore, it is important to think about reconstruction

Focusing on reconstruction while people are dying in a full-scale war may seem strange. Johan von Schreeb believes that it shows signs of hope.

– It is incredibly important to have something to look forward to. We must not forget that the population of Gaza is very young, around 40 percent are 20 years old. Many go to school and many are unemployed. Talking about rebuilding now may seem cynical when there is destruction, but you have to start planning now.

While planning reconstruction, there are also a lot of questions that need to be sorted out.

– Who will be responsible? What will the political situation look like? How to get material in? Who will pay? What kind of society should be rebuilt? It can be a challenge.