UN estimates Gaza reconstruction to cost between $30 and $40 billion

(Patria) - A UN agency announced on Thursday that the reconstruction of war-torn Gaza will cost around $30 to $40 billion and will require an effort unprecedented since World War II, AFP reported.

"The first estimates by the United Nations Development Programme and the reconstruction of... the Gaza Strip exceed $30 billion and could reach up to $40 billion," said UN Assistant Secretary-General Abdallah al-Dardari.

"The scale of destruction is enormous and unprecedented... This is a mission that the global community has not dealt with since World War II," al-Dardari told a press conference in the Jordanian capital, Amman.

He added that if Gaza's reconstruction were to proceed through a normal process, "it could take decades, and the Palestinian people do not have the luxury of waiting decades."

"That is why it is important that we act quickly to rehouse people in decent accommodation and return their lives to normal – economically, socially, in terms of health and education."

"This is our main priority and must be achieved in the first three years after the cessation of hostilities."

He estimated the amount of material destroyed by bombings and explosions at 37 million tons. "We are talking about a colossal figure, and that figure increases every day," he said. "The latest data indicates it is already approaching 40 million tons."

He added that "72 percent of all residential buildings have been completely or partially destroyed."