Gaza faces $18.5bn in infrastructure damage, UN and World Bank report shows

In the initial four months following the Israeli offensive on Gaza which began on 7 October, Gaza has suffered approximately $18.5 bn in damages to its essential infrastructure, as reported in a joint study by the World Bank and the United Nations released on Tuesday.

The preliminary report on damage assessment, financially backed by the European Union, calculates that the damages amount to 97 percent of the total GDP of both the West Bank and Gaza in 2022.

It also noted that 26 million tons of debris and rubble have been left behind, which will require years to clear away.

According to a statement from the World Bank, the report identified that damage impacted every sector, with housing representing 72 percent of the total costs. Public service infrastructure, including water, health, and education facilities, accounted for 19 percent of the damages.

The World Bank reported that over a million people are homeless and 75 percent of the population has been displaced. It further said that more than half of Gaza's population is facing the risk of famine, with the entire population suffering from severe food insecurity and malnutrition.

"Catastrophic cumulative impacts on physical and mental health have hit women, children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities the hardest, with the youngest children anticipated to be facing life-long consequences to their development," the World Bank said.