Rebuilding Gaza would take 80 years, UN estimates

A United Nations housing expert said that it would take 80 years to rebuild the Gaza Strip if the occupation continues its aggression. Balakrishnan Rajagopal, the UN independent investigator on the right to adequate housing, noted that the Strip has been subjected to an "unprecedented rain of destruction" since Israel launched its attack on October 7 last year. According to the official UN website, the Rajagopal said that by January 2024, between 60 and 70 percent of homes in Gaza had been destroyed, and in northern Gaza the percentage was 82 percent, noting that "it is much worse now," especially in the north, where the destruction rate is close to 100 percent. A recent UNDP report estimated that last May there were more than 39 million tons of debris in Gaza, he said, pointing out that the rubble is mixed with unexploded ordnance, toxic waste, asbestos from collapsed buildings and other materials. "The groundwater pollution and the soil contamination are so catastrophic that we don't know if they can ev er be remedied in time for people to move back at least within this generation," he said. Asked how long it would take to rebuild Gaza, he said that first the rubble must be removed, then funding must be found, and most importantly, reconstruction cannot be done until the occupation ends. He blamed Israel for imposing restrictions on construction materials and equipment, which it claims have dual uses, noting that after the 2014 war in Gaza, less than 1,000 homes were built each year. Source: Jordan News Agency