Rebuilding destroyed Gaza homes may take 80 years, U.N. says

According to a U.N. report released on Thursday, rebuilding homes in the Gaza Strip could drag into the next century if the pace follows the trend of previous conflicts.

Nearly seven months of Israeli bombardment have caused billions of dollars in damage, leaving many of the crowded strip’s high-rise concrete buildings reduced to heaps, the report said.

Palestinian data shows that around 80,000 homes have been destroyed, with tens of thousands of Palestinians killed since the war began in October of last year.

The assessment, released by the U.N. Development Programme, said Gaza needs “approximately 80 years to restore all the fully destroyed housing units.”

In a scenario where the war lasts nine months, poverty is set to increase from 38.8% of Gaza’s population at the end of 2023 to 60.7%, dragging a large portion of the middle class below the poverty line, the report said.