The first estimate, which calls the degree of devastation in Gaza “unprecedented,” probably underestimates the true losses, damages, and needs in the Palestinian enclave.
According to a recent World Bank and UN report, Israel’s ongoing bombardment on Gaza has caused damage to essential infrastructure worth an estimated $18.5 billion in the first four months.
The damage, according to the research, was projected to be worth 97% of the GDP of Gaza and the occupied West Bank combined in 2022.
According to the Interim Damage Assessment Note, which was made public on Tuesday, “the level of destruction in the Gaza Strip since October 2023 is unprecedented.”
Approximately 290,820 housing units, or 62% of all dwellings in Gaza, have been damaged or destroyed by the ongoing fighting, leaving more than a million people without a place to live. Housing, with an estimated cost of $13.3 billion, makes up 72% of the total damage expenditures.
Nine percent is made up of commercial and industrial buildings, and the remaining 19 percent is made up of public service infrastructure, such as water, health, and education systems.
The water and sanitation system has been drastically scaled back, producing less than 5 percent of its previous output, and the energy, water, and municipal sectors have sustained damages of close to $800 million.
The populace has limited access to healthcare, according to the report, with 84% of health facilities damaged or destroyed and the remaining ones without enough electricity or water to run.
With the collapse of the educational system, all 625,000 pupils in Gaza are not attending classes. $341 million worth of infrastructure damage has been done to schools, with an estimated 56 completely destroyed and 219 partially damaged.
It will also likely take years to remove the 26 million tonnes of debris and rubble that have been left behind after the devastation.
According to the study, “to date, 80 percent of total damages were concentrated in the governorates of Gaza, North Gaza, and Khan Younis,” adding that Beit Lahiya and Rafah governorates.
It stated that the damage to the Gaza municipality alone came to US$7.29 billion, followed by Jabalya at US$2.01 billion, Khan Younis at US$1.82 million, and Beit Lahiya at US$1.08 billion.
As the fight rages on, these expenses “are expected to increase substantially along with the magnitude of damages.” This is especially true in the southern Gaza Strip, where there has been more devastation in recent weeks, the statement continued.
With assistance from the European Union, the evaluation produced a preliminary estimate of the conflict’s damage to Gaza’s physical structures using analytics and remote data gathering sources.
The organizations stated that a second investigation would be necessary “as the situation allows,” and that these preliminary figures are probably an underestimate of the actual damages, losses, and needs.
The report demanded that food aid and production be increased, that displaced individuals be given access to shelter and housing options, and that vital services be resumed.