How Long Will It Take To Rebuild Gaza?

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00:00How long will it take to rebuild Gaza?

00:03After two years of war, Gaza lies in ruins.

00:05But even with a ceasefire, rebuilding won't be quick.

00:08Experts now say it's going to take decades, not months, to even begin restoring what's

00:13lost.

00:14Now, let's talk numbers.

00:15More than 170,000 buildings, that's around two-thirds of Gaza's structures, have been

00:20damaged or destroyed, according to UN assessments.

00:23There's over 50 million tons of debris across the territory, and nearly 78% of buildings

00:29may now be destroyed based on recent satellite data.

00:32On top of that, water, power, sewage systems, and schools are in shambles.

00:36Most need full reconstruction.

00:38So when does rebuilding actually begin?

00:40A major joint assessment from the UN, World Bank, and others puts Gaza's reconstruction

00:44price tag at $53 billion.

00:47About $30 billion of that is for repairing physical infrastructure.

00:51That's homes, utilities, public buildings.

00:53But here's the bigger problem.

00:54Clearing the rubble alone could take up to 20 years, given current access and resource

00:58constraints.

00:59So full reconstruction is likely to span two, three, or even more decades, depending

01:05on many moving pieces.

01:06So what affects construction timelines?

01:08Opening crossings and allowing free flow of building materials, heavy machinery, fuel,

01:13parts.

01:14These are non-negotiable.

01:15Massive stable funding from governments, international institutions, and private donors will be essential.

01:21Political stability, effective governance, and security are just as critical.

01:25Without them, construction teams can't operate safely.

01:28Then there's the cleanup.

01:29Unexploded ordnance, contamination, and rubble must be removed before rebuilding even begins

01:35in many areas.

01:36This is why Gaza's recovery is not a six-month or one-year story.

01:40Even the most optimistic estimates place the process in the realm of decades.

01:44And that's the reality we'll need to face in the coming years.