Gaza, Palestine – Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are using rubble from destroyed buildings to repair roads in an effort to cope with the aftermath of war.
This is being done as part of a UNDP-led project to recycle debris and improve basic infrastructure.
Recycling rubble
According to Reuters, the project is working to collect, sort, and crush millions of tons of rubble resulting
from the destruction, for reuse in paving roads and rehabilitating affected areas.
This will help facilitate access to essential services such as water and hospitals.
The amount of rubble in the Gaza Strip is estimated at approximately 61 million tons.
Thus, the removal process has become one of the biggest challenges facing Gaza in the post-war period.
On-the-ground challenges and ongoing risks
The teams face significant risks while removing rubble, most notably the presence of unexploded ordnance.
Security threats near the front lines also slow the pace of work.
Operations are further hampered by shortages of heavy equipment and fuel.
Restrictions on the entry of necessary supplies are exacerbating the already complex reconstruction efforts.
Huge cost and long-term reconstruction
The United Nations and its partners estimate that clearing the rubble could take up to seven years,
while the total cost of reconstruction is estimated at around $71.4 billion.
Despite the removal of hundreds of thousands of tons of debris so far,
officials emphasize that what has been accomplished represents only a fraction of the scale of the devastation.
Meanwhile, residents continue their efforts to rebuild their lives amidst complex humanitarian conditions.
