UN Estimates Gaza Reconstruction Will Cost $70 Billion

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Special Representative Jaco Cilliers said rebuilding the Gaza Strip will require at least $70 billion, according to estimates by the UN, EU, and World Bank. Speaking in Geneva, Cilliers stated that over 80% of Gaza’s buildings have been destroyed or damaged, with 55 million tons of rubble to be cleared and 92% destruction in Gaza City alone. He added that reconstruction efforts face delays due to unexploded ordnance but noted early pledges of support from the US, Arab, and European countries.