War leaves behind scars that are not just physical but also deeply entrenched in the socio-economic makeup of nations.
Reconstruction, a needed activity after conflict is not merely about erecting buildings; it’s about restoring shattered lives, rebuilding communities, and reviving hope in the hearts of people.
As such, Humanitarian Aid and Assistance, Economic Recovery, Social Reintegration are Psychological Support are very essential.
According to UN estimates, if the war in Gaza stopped today, it would still take until 2040 to rebuild all the homes destroyed in Israel’s bombardment and ground offensives.
“Every additional day that this war continues is exacting huge and compounding costs to Gazans and all Palestinians,” UN Development Programme Administrator, Achim Steiner, stated.
A new report by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia disclosed that at least 370,000 housing units in Gaza have been damaged, including 79,000 destroyed completely.
After previous wars on Gaza, housing was rebuilt at a rate of 992 units year. Even if Israel allows a five-fold increase of construction material to enter Gaza, it would take until 2040 to rebuild the destroyed houses, without repairing the damaged ones, the report said.
“The United Nations Development Programme’s initial estimates for the reconstruction of … the Gaza Strip surpasses $30bn and could reach up to $40bn,” Abdallah al-Dardari, Director of the regional bureau for Arab states at the UN Development Programme (UNDP)
He noted that the scale of the destruction is huge and unprecedented, adding that this is a mission that “the global community has not dealt with since World War II.”
“We have not seen anything like this since 1945. That intensity, in such a short time and the massive scale of destruction,” he added.
He added that if Gaza’s reconstruction were to be carried out through the normal process, “it could take decades, and the Palestinian people do not have the luxury of waiting for decades.”
“It is therefore important that we act quickly to re-house people in decent housing and restore their lives to normal – economically, socially, in terms of health and education.
“This is our top priority, and it must be achieved within the first three years following the cessation of hostilities.”
Abdallah al-Dardari
This means that The UN agency’s top priority would be a three-year post-war recovery phase with the aim of providing temporary shelters and basic services for Palestinians to be able to return to the sites of their former homes.
He estimated the total rubble from bombardment and explosions at 37m tonnes.
“We are talking about a colossal figure, and this figure is increasing every day,” he said. “The latest data indicates that it is already approaching 40m tonnes.”
The UN official also said “72% of all residential buildings have been completely or partially destroyed”.
“Reconstruction must be planned carefully, efficiently and with extreme flexibility because we do not know how the war will end” and what type of postwar governance will be established in the Gaza Strip.”
Abdallah al-Dardari
Reversal Of Decades Of Hard-Fought Gains
Overall, the level of destruction is such that the UNDP estimates that the human development index in Gaza has regressed by 40 years.
The index assesses factors including years of gains in schooling, education attainment, health and life expectancy at birth.
“All investments in human development … for the last 40 years in Gaza have been wiped out,” al-Dardari said.
“We are almost back in the ’80s,” he added.
This regression not only reflects a loss of progress but also a reversal of decades of hard-fought gains in education, healthcare, and overall well-being.
The psychological scars of war can be long-lasting and debilitating.
Mental health services and trauma counseling are needed in helping Gazans cope with the emotional aftermath of conflict.
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