UN forms task force to coordinate war debris removal in Gaza

International organisations and donor entities have begun assessing aid plans, funding programmes and development initiatives required to be launched once the ceasefire in Gaza takes effect, addressing the immense challenges resulting from nearly 15 months of military operations that have caused an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.

One of the most pressing challenges is the removal and clearance of the vast war debris left behind by the destruction of entire residential neighbourhoods and most of the infrastructure across the Gaza Strip, including hundreds of schools, hospitals, and key financial, economic, agricultural, industrial and production sectors.

Preliminary estimates circulating within the United Nations system indicate that the volume of debris resulting from the destruction in Gaza could exceed 42 million tonnes. The initial cost of transporting and disposing of this debris has been estimated at approximately $1 billion, while the overall reconstruction cost for the Strip may exceed $80 billion.

Displaced Palestinians move with their belongings on Salah Al Din road as people make their way from the south to the northern parts of the Gaza. AFP

In a recent report jointly prepared by several UN and international specialised agencies, the United Nations warned that the vast amount of debris in Gaza, including accumulated war remnants, poses a significant threat to public health, the environment, development programmes and the ability of residents to return to normal life.

As part of its humanitarian and development mandates in the Palestinian territories, the UN emphasised that war debris removal and reconstruction efforts in Gaza require international cooperation and coordinated efforts to overcome the substantial challenges of this process. It called for innovative solutions and sustained global support to rebuild the Strip, restoring hope and normality for its affected population.

As an initial step in this direction, UN agencies operating on the ground, led by the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Environment Programme, have established a UN task force dedicated to developing a comprehensive framework for coordinating the unprecedented debris removal process across Gaza. The UN noted that the amount of debris from the recent military operations in the Strip is the largest in volume compared to previous Israeli military campaigns in Gaza since 2008.

Palestinians walk through buildings that were destroyed by the Israeli air and ground offensive are seen at the Tel Al Hawa. AP

The task force includes the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, the World Food Programme, the United Nations Mine Action Service, the United Nations Development Programme, Unesco, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, the United Nations Environment Programme, the United Nations Office for Project Services, the World Bank, and other relevant international entities.

Dr Hanan Balkhy, Regional Director of the World Health Organisation for the Eastern Mediterranean, expressed hope that the current ceasefire in Gaza would evolve into a permanent cessation of hostilities. She highlighted the severe psychological trauma affecting the entire population of Gaza due to the unprecedented violence, forced displacement and starvation they have endured, stating, "Everyone in Gaza is experiencing an unparalleled state of grief."

WAM