UN Report: Rebuilding Gaza's Destroyed Homes Could Take 80 Years
A UN report released on Thursday estimates that rebuilding the destroyed homes in the Gaza Strip could take up to 80 years based on the pace of previous conflicts.
The Israeli bombardment over the past seven months has caused billions of dollars in damage and destroyed around 80,000 homes, leaving many high-rise concrete buildings in ruins.
The UN official described the area as a "moonscape" of destruction.
In the worst-case scenario, it could take 80 years to restore all the fully destroyed housing units.
However, if construction materials are delivered five times faster than in the last crisis in 2021, it could be completed by 2040.
The conflict was triggered by Hamas fighters' attacks on southern Israel on Oct. 7, resulting in tens of thousands of Palestinian deaths.
The UNDP assessment projects that the ongoing conflict in Gaza will cause decades of socioeconomic suffering, leading to unprecedented levels of human losses, capital destruction, and poverty.
If the war lasts nine months, poverty is projected to increase from 38.8% to 60.7%, pulling a significant portion of the middle class into poverty.
UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner warns that this development crisis will jeopardize the future of generations to come.