The UN estimated the amount necessary to rebuild the Gaza strip devastated by more than a year of war.
Ravaed for over a year by war, the Gaza Strip will need significant reconstruction. More than 60% of the dwellings were destroyed and the conflict generated 50 million tonnes of debris according to the UN. This Tuesday, February 11, the UN explained the reconstruction plan for the region. Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary General, insisted that “so that he is viable, any effort of raising and reconstruction must be firmly anchored in a wider political and security framework”, with Gaza like ” integral part of a fully independent, democratic Palestinian state, of a single piece, viable and sovereign “.
The UN also gave an estimate of the funds necessary to rebuild the region. It would take more than $ 53 billion, or more than 51 billion euros. In the short term, over the first three years, the funding required is estimated to already $ 20 billion. These figures follow a request from the UN General Assembly, made in a resolution adopted in December requiring an immediate and unconditional cease-fire. “Although it was not possible, in the current context, to fully assess all the needs that will be necessary in the Gaza strip, the rapid intermediate assessment gives a first indication of the considerable scale of Requirement and reconstruction needs in the territory, “explains the report.
This budget will be divided into several sectors with 15.2 billion for housing, 6.9 billion for trade and industry, 6.9 billion for health, 4.2 billion for agriculture, 4.2 billion for Social protection, 2.9 billion for transport, 2.7 billion for water and sanitation, 2.6 billion for education and 1.9 billion for the environment.
Long reconstruction without population displacement?
Reconstruction will take time. “The problem that arises is that it all takes time. I used to remember that in New York, the kidnapping of the World Trade Center rubble [détruit lors des attentats du 11 septembre 2001] took several years. So it takes a minimum of patience on the part of everyone, “explained Pierre Duquesne, former coordinator of international aid for the Palestinian state, as reported Franceinfo.
This estimate comes a few days after Donald Trump announced that the United States would “take control” from the Gaza Strip and develop it to make it a new “Côte d’Azur du Middle East”. The American president had notably proposed to move the Gazaoui to Jordan and Egypt. Egyptian president Abdel Fattah Al-Sissi replied on Tuesday by calling for “starting the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip (…) without moving the Palestinians and in order to preserve their right to live on their land”.