16 years to rebuild destroyed homes in the Gaza Strip

Dina Mahmoud (Gaza, London)

International experts specializing in disaster recovery have unanimously agreed that the reconstruction operations in the Gaza Strip, as a result of the massive destruction that is currently spreading throughout it as a result of the war taking place there, are becoming more complex and expensive day after day, with the fighting approaching its eighth month, without any sign of progress. Hopefully, it can be put to an end in the near future.
According to experts, ground battles and ongoing aerial and artillery bombardments in the Gaza Strip have inflicted heavy losses on homes and buildings that existed before the outbreak of war on October 7 of last year, leading to 1.2 million Gazans losing their homes permanently.
Amid recent UN data confirming that the fighting resulted in the damage of nearly 370,000 housing units in the Gaza Strip, including about 79,000 that were completely destroyed, experts indicated that the costs of rebuilding these units may reach approximately 40 billion US dollars.
According to the most optimistic estimates, this process, which does not include the restoration of buildings partially damaged by the war in Gaza, is expected to take 16 years, if Israel allows construction materials to enter the Strip, in quantities five times greater than those it currently allows.
In addition to the destruction that struck residential units, United Nations data reveal that more than 60% of the total buildings in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed over the past seven months, including the majority of schools, hospitals, and commercial facilities, as well as more than a hundred cultural heritage sites. .
This catastrophic scene prompted the Director of the United Nations Development Programme, Achim Steiner, to confirm that such a scale of destruction had not been observed in the entire world since World War II (1939-1945), in light of its scope and severity at the same time.
According to a report published by the American journal Architectural Record, which specializes in architectural affairs, an estimated 45,000 bombs were dropped on the sector, which is approximately 25 miles (40.2 kilometers) long and about seven miles (11.26 kilometers) wide, during the first three months of the war. .
For his part, Dr. Kit Miyamoto, founder and president of Miyamoto International, a global engineering company specializing in recovery operations from disasters, whether natural or those resulting from human activities, stressed that carrying out rapid restoration work for moderately damaged buildings and homes in Gaza, which is estimated at 50%. Of the destroyed buildings, it may provide immediate shelter needs for a significant number of residents within six months.
These estimates, according to the American monthly periodical, were based on restoration and rehabilitation work that the company is currently engaged in in Ukraine.
In late April, the same company issued a report assessing the damage to buildings in Gaza, and also outlining the outlines of any initial reconstruction plan.
Experts pointed out that there are many difficulties surrounding the Gaza reconstruction process, if circumstances allow it to begin, once a sustainable truce or ceasefire is reached.
On top of these obstacles is preventing some materials and equipment used in construction from entering the Gaza Strip, including concrete and iron, under the pretext that these items and others can be used for military purposes.