UN Report Highlights Challenges of Clearing Gaza's Rubble

 A UN assessment has found that removing nearly 40 million tonnes of rubble from Gaza would take over one hundred trucks 15 years to complete, with costs estimated between $500 million and $600 million.

The assessment by the UN Environment Programme, published last month, highlights the daunting task of rebuilding Gaza after extensive destruction from prolonged Israeli military operations. It reported that 137,297 buildings in Gaza, more than half of the total, have been damaged. Of these, over a quarter were completely destroyed, around 10% were severely damaged, and a third were moderately damaged.

The assessment indicated that large landfill sites, covering between 250 and 500 hectares (618 to 1,235 acres), would be needed to dispose of the rubble, depending on the amount that could be recycled.

In May, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) projected that rebuilding homes destroyed in Gaza could extend until 2040 under optimistic conditions, with total reconstruction costs reaching up to $40 billion. This assessment, aimed at fundraising for early rehabilitation efforts, also warned that the conflict could regress Gaza's health, education, and economic conditions to levels seen in 1980, effectively undoing 44 years of development.

A UN official based in Gaza described the damage as "insane," noting that in southern Gaza City’s Khan Younis, not a single building was left untouched. The official mentioned that 2,000-pound (907kg) bombs dropped by Israel have changed the landscape, creating new hills where none previously existed.

Critical infrastructure such as schools, health facilities, roads, and sewers has been severely damaged. Humanitarian officials acknowledged Israel's move to increase capacity at a key desalination plant for Gaza but noted that widespread damage to distribution pipes still hampers water supply within the territory.

The UNDP's estimated cost for Gaza's reconstruction has doubled from earlier figures provided by UN and Palestinian officials in January and continues to rise daily.

Gaza's Civil Defence agency reported that the rubble contains unexploded ordnance, leading to "more than 10 explosions every week," causing further casualties and injuries. Former UN Mine Action Service chief Pehr Lodhammar noted that around 10% of fired weapons fail to detonate and must be cleared by demining teams. He added that 65% of the destroyed buildings in Gaza were residential, making the clearance and rebuilding process slow and hazardous due to buried shells, missiles, or other unexploded weapons.

The conflict started in October when Hamas launched a surprise attack on southern Israel, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 250 others. According to Palestinian officials, more than 38,000 people have been killed in Israel's offensive in Gaza.