A joint assessment by the United Nations, the European Union and the World Bank, published on April 20th, 2026, found that human development across Gaza has been set back by 77 years and that $71.4 billion will be needed over the next decade for recovery and reconstruction. The final Gaza Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment estimates that $26.3 billion will be required within the first 18 months alone to restore essential services, rebuild critical infrastructure and support economic recovery.

The physical scale of destruction since full-scale war erupted in October 2023 is staggering. Physical damage is estimated at $35.2 billion, with a further $22.7 billion in economic and social losses. More than 371,888 housing units have been destroyed or damaged. Over 50% of hospitals are non-functional. Nearly all schools have been destroyed or damaged. The economy has contracted by 84%. More than 60% of the population has lost its home and 1.9 million people have been displaced, often multiple times. Local authorities report more than 71,000 Palestinian fatalities and over 171,000 injured, with many still unaccounted for.

The assessment, framed in line with UN Security Council resolution 2803 (2025), stresses that recovery must run in parallel with humanitarian action and be Palestinian-led, with governance transitioning to the Palestinian Authority and a credible pathway toward a two-state solution. A sustained ceasefire, unimpeded humanitarian access, debris clearance, and explosive ordnance management are identified as prerequisites before reconstruction can meaningfully begin.

Source: Gaza Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment, UN/EU/World Bank, April 20th, 2026