Gaza: Devastation Left Behind and the Heavy Costs of Reconstruction
According to the English section of webangah News Agency, citing Mehr News Agency and Al Jazeera, Yahya Al-Sarraj, mayor of Gaza, stated that Israeli forces have destroyed about 90 percent of trucks and heavy equipment in the Gaza Strip.
Al-Sarraj added that repairing wells and water and sewage networks will require at least 100,000 tons of cement.
A spokesperson for Gaza’s municipality reported that approximately 90 percent of the city’s streets have been wholly or partially destroyed.
The official emphasized that without reopening main streets in Gaza City, reconstruction and debris clearance cannot begin.
The Palestinian official also noted that around 50 million tons of rubble resulted from the Israeli war.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Progress Program announced initial estimates indicating that rebuilding Gaza after the recent conflict could cost nearly $70 billion.
The UN body also stressed that the scale of destruction is unprecedented, estimating over 55 million tons of debris across different areas throughout the coastal strip.
World Health Association Sounds Alarm
The World Health Organization declared that more than 15,600 patients in Gaza urgently need medical evacuation and transfer. The agency warned that continued closure of medical routes endangers thousands of lives.
The WHO stressed enhancing disease outbreak monitoring in gaza due to deteriorating sanitary conditions alongside shortages in water and medicines, increasing risks for infectious diseases to spread.
The organization called for reopening crossings out of Gaza so patients can receive treatment at hospitals outside the region.
This international body further indicated that over 15,000 people suffered amputations during the recent war. Many require immediate treatment,rehabilitation services,and specialized medical equipment.
It is indeed noteworthy that yesterday marked an official end to the Gaza war after more than two years with a peace agreement signed at sharm El-Sheikh by leaders from the US,Egypt,Qatar,and Turkey.