UN–EU assessment says Gaza set back 77 years

By Nathan Morley

Human development in Gaza has been pushed back by an estimated 77 years, and more than $71 billion will be required over the next decade to rebuild, according to a new joint warning from the United Nations and the European Union.

The final Gaza Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment, carried out with the UN‑partnered World Bank, estimates that $26.3 billion will be needed in the first 18 months to restore essential services, repair critical infrastructure and support economic recovery.

Since the war escalated after the Hamas‑led attacks on southern Israel in October 2023, physical damage in Gaza has reached $35.2 billion, with an additional $22.7 billion in economic and social losses. Housing, health care, education, commerce and agriculture have been among the hardest‑hit sectors.

More than 371,000 homes have been destroyed or damaged, over half of all hospitals are non‑functional, and nearly every school has been hit. The economy has contracted by 84 percent.

The human toll is equally severe. Local authorities report more than 71,000 Palestinian deaths and over 171,000 injured, with many still missing beneath collapsed buildings. More than 60 percent of the population has lost its home, and 1.9 million people have been displaced, many repeatedly. Women, children, people with disabilities and those already vulnerable face the greatest hardship.

The report is intended to guide early recovery and long‑term reconstruction planning. It stresses that rebuilding must proceed alongside ongoing humanitarian operations to ensure a workable transition from emergency relief to large‑scale recovery in both Gaza and the West Bank.

Listen to the report by Nathan Morley {"@context": "http://schema.org","@type": "AudioObject","@id": "https://media.vaticannews.va/media2/audio/s1/2026/04/27/15/139124333_F139124333.mp3","name": "Audio","description": "Audio","uploadDate" : "2026-04-27T17:26:38.232+02:00","thumbnailUrl" : "https://www.vaticannews.va/etc/designs/vatican-news/release/library/main/images/audio-overlay.250.141.png"}