Rebuilding Gaza will require more than £50 billion, according to a joint assessment by the United Nations and the European Union, as international attention returns to the scale of destruction wrought on the territory amid ongoing conflict.
The estimate, reported by Sky News, underscores the enormous economic and humanitarian challenge facing Gaza, where large portions of infrastructure, housing, and public services have been severely damaged or destroyed.
Scale of damage
The UN-EU assessment places the cost of reconstruction among the highest recorded for any conflict zone in recent years. The figure encompasses damage to residential buildings, hospitals, schools, roads, and critical utilities, according to the report.
The assessment comes as international focus has been partly drawn toward parallel conflicts and tensions involving Lebanon and Iran, raising concerns among aid organisations that Gaza's long-term recovery needs could be overshadowed.
A long road to recovery
Beyond the financial cost, reconstruction efforts face significant logistical and political obstacles. Sustained access for construction materials, workers, and funding mechanisms would all be required before any large-scale rebuilding could begin, analysts have noted.
International aid organisations have repeatedly warned that the humanitarian situation inside Gaza remains critical, with shortages of food, clean water, and medical supplies compounding the destruction of physical infrastructure.
International response
The joint UN-EU report is intended in part to focus the attention of donor nations and international institutions on the long-term needs of Gaza's civilian population. However, no comprehensive international funding framework for reconstruction has yet been announced.
The path to rebuilding will also depend heavily on the political and security situation on the ground, with a durable ceasefire widely regarded as a prerequisite for any serious recovery effort to begin.
The £50 billion figure is likely to be treated as a baseline, with some experts suggesting final costs could rise further depending on how long the conflict continues and the extent of damage that has yet to be fully assessed.
