Joint World Bank and UN Report Assesses Damage to Gaza’s Infrastructure

WASHINGTON, March 28, 2024 – The cost of damage to critical infrastructure in Gaza is estimated at around $18.5 billion according to a new report released today by the World Bank Group and the United Nations, with the financial support of the European Union. That is equivalent to 97% of the combined GDP of the West Bank and Gaza in 2022.  

The Interim Damage Assessment report used remote data collection sources to measure damage to physical infrastructure in critical sectors incurred between October 2023 and end of January 2024.  The report finds that damage to structures affects every sector of the economy. Housing alone accounts for 73% of the identified cost. Public service infrastructure such as water, health and education account for 18%, and damages to commercial and industrial buildings account for 9%.  For several sectors, the rate of damage appears to be leveling off as few assets remain intact. An estimated 26 million tons of debris and rubble have been left in the wake of the destruction, an amount that will take years to remove.  

The report also looks at the devastating impact on the people of Gaza. More than half the population of Gaza is on the brink of famine and the entire population is experiencing acute food insecurity and malnutrition. Over a million people have been left without homes and 75% of the population is displaced.  The severe cumulative impacts on physical and mental health have hit women, children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities the hardest, with the youngest children facing life-long consequences to their development.  

With 84% of health facilities damaged or destroyed, and a lack of electricity and water to operate remaining facilities, people have minimal access to health care, medicine, or life-saving treatments. The water and sanitation system has nearly collapsed, delivering less than 5% of its previous output, with people dependent on limited water rations for survival. The education system has completely collapsed, with 100% of children out of school.   

The report also points to the impact on power networks as well as solar generated systems and the almost total power blackout since the first week of the conflict. This has had widespread effect on day-to-day life in Gaza. With 92% of primary roads destroyed or damaged and the communications infrastructure seriously impaired, the delivery of basic humanitarian aid to people has become all the more difficult.   

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About the Gaza Interim Damage Assessment Report 

The Gaza Interim Damage Assessment report provides a preliminary estimate of the impact of the on-going conflict in the Gaza Strip up to the end of January 2024. This technical report draws on remote data collection sources and analytics to provide a preliminary estimate of damages to physical structures in Gaza from the conflict.  The estimate does not include the economic and social losses nor the financing needs for recovery and reconstruction the cost of which is expected to be multiple times higher based on experience in post-disaster and post-conflict settings.  A comprehensive Rapid Damage & Needs Assessment (RDNA) will be completed as soon as the situation allows and in which the total amount of damages, losses and needs are expected to rise exponentially. RDNAs follow a globally recognized methodology that has been applied in multiple contexts to inform recovery and reconstruction planning.  

 
Media Contacts: 

World Bank Group 

In West Bank: Mary Koussa - (972) 2-2366500;  mkoussa@worldbank.org  

In Washington: Serene Jweied - (202) 473-8764;  sjweied@worldbank.org 

United Nations 

In West Bank: Murad Bakri – (972) 2-5687287; bakri1@un.org