NEW YORK CITY: A number of independent UN experts on Wednesday warned that reconstruction efforts in Gaza will not succeed unless the root causes of the destruction, including the Israeli occupation and systemic discrimination against Palestinians, are addressed. Their comments followed the publication of the “Gaza Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment,” a major report on the state of the territory as a result of the war between Israel and Hamas that began in October 2023.
The experts expressed “grave concern” over the findings of the report, which documents destruction on what they described as a historic scale.
They include Balakrishnan Rajagopal, special rapporteur on adequate housing; Francesca Albanese, special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967; George Katrougalos, an independent expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order; Tlaleng Mofokeng, special rapporteur on the right to health; Michael Fakhri, special rapporteur on the right to food; and Reem Alsalem, special rapporteur on violence against women and girls.
According to the report, authored by the UN, EU and the World Bank, more than 371,000 housing units in Gaza have been destroyed or damaged, and about 1.9 million people have been displaced, many of them several times. More than 60 percent of the territory’s population remains homeless.
Though the assessment sets out the scale of the devastation, the experts criticized it for failing to address the fundamental conditions required for reconstruction to begin and succeed.
“The occupation must end, and the dispossession and discrimination against Palestinians must stop if rebuilding is to have any real chance of success,” they said.
The joint assessment identified housing as the hardest-hit sector, with the cost of its reconstruction needs estimated at more than $71 billion.
The experts stressed that the destruction of residences represents an unprecedented denial of the right to adequate housing. International law prohibits the arbitrary destruction of homes, and requires immediate, rights-based responses, they noted.
They also highlighted the disproportionate effects of the destruction on vulnerable groups. Women, in particular widows and female-led households, face significant barriers in access to housing, land and property rights. Meanwhile, overcrowded living conditions undermine privacy and dignity.
Persons with disabilities encounter major accessibility challenges in shelters and during rebuilding efforts, while older people have been especially badly affected by displacements and the loss of community networks.
“The data confirms a pattern of structural discrimination that reconstruction efforts must urgently correct, rather than reproduce,” the experts said.
They called for reconstruction efforts to place an emphasis on international legal obligations, including human rights and humanitarian laws. These principles stress that the rebuilding process must be inclusive, participatory, transparent and accountable, with Palestinians playing a central role in decision-making in line with their right to self-determination.
They also warned that without clear human rights safeguards, there is a risk reconstruction will be driven by financial gain rather than needs.
“Without explicit safeguards, reconstruction processes may become a race for profits … while excluding vulnerable groups,” the experts said.
They further emphasized that reconstruction must extend beyond physical rebuilding to include remedies and reparations for those who have been affected, as well as efforts to prevent renewed displacements and address long-standing inequalities.
“Reconstruction is not only about rebuilding structures, it is about restoring rights, dignity and equality,” the experts said.
“Failure to align with international human rights standards risks entrenching injustice and prolonging the suffering of Palestinians for generations.”
Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, told Arab News that the UN stands by the assessment, and reiterated the calls for conditions that would allow reconstruction to proceed sustainably.
“(Our) UN colleagues stand by the report,” he said. “What we wanted to see is reconstruction restart in a way that doesn’t lead us to another cycle of build, destroy, rebuild, which the Gazans have seen all too often.”
He stressed that an end to hostilities is essential, adding: “There needs to be the conditions, and one of them is the silencing of the guns, and prospects for peace for reconstruction to start,” he said.
Dujarric also highlighted the financial challenges relating to reconstruction, noting that donors would need to be confident about the situation before committing any financial support.
“Reconstruction will require a lot of funds, and it is clear that donors will want to see conditions on the ground that they feel are positive enough to start investing the massive amounts of money that are needed,” he added.
When asked whether any meaningful reconstruction could take place while the occupation continues, Dujarric reiterated the UN’s longstanding position.
“We’ve called for an end to the occupation and for that, our position is unchanged,” he said, while declining to set any specific conditions.
Special rapporteurs are part of what is known as the special procedures of the UN Human Rights Council. They are independent experts who work on a voluntary basis, are not members of UN staff and are not paid for their work.
