Gaza needs $71.4B over next decade for recovery, reconstruction

Gaza will require an estimated $71.4 billion over the next 10 years for recovery and reconstruction following 24 months of conflict, according to a final joint assessment released Monday by the EU, the UN, and the World Bank.

The Gaza Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA) on Monday said $26.3 billion of that total will be needed in the first 18 months to restore essential services, rebuild critical infrastructure, and support economic recovery.

The assessment estimated physical infrastructure damage in Gaza at $35.2 billion, while economic and social losses were put at $22.7 billion.

It said the sectors hit hardest by the conflict were housing, health, education, commerce, and agriculture.

According to the report, more than 371,888 housing units have been destroyed or damaged, more than half of the hospitals are non-functional, and nearly all schools have been destroyed or damaged.

The report also said Gaza’s economy has contracted by 84% and described the conflict’s impact on human development as catastrophic, estimating that development in the enclave has been set back by 77 years.

It added that around 1.9 million people have been displaced, often multiple times, and that more than 60% of the population has lost their homes.

The assessment said women, children, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups bear the heaviest burden.

The report provides an analytical basis for early recovery planning and reconstruction in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2803, it noted.

The EU and the UN said recovery efforts must move in parallel with humanitarian action and should support a transition toward large-scale reconstruction covering both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

They also said reconstruction should be Palestinian-led and aligned with a broader political process aimed at a two-state solution, while stressing that a sustained ceasefire, humanitarian access, restoration of essential services, free movement of people and goods, clear governance arrangements, and international financial support are necessary conditions for success.