“More than half of buildings in Gaza are now in ruins,” says Palestine aid organization

The activities of the International Arab Authority for the Reconstruction of Palestine, which brings together 16 Arab countries, have been very disrupted since October 7.

In the offices of the Jordanian branch of the International Arab Authority for the Reconstruction of Palestine, in Amman, engineers are closely monitoring the situation in Gaza. Created in 2009, the organization brings together 16 Arab countries whose objective is to improve the lives of Gazans by raising funds in all member countries, to build schools, wells, or hospitals in the enclave.

Since October 7, the International Arab Authority has faced a double challenge: rebuilding in a context of war and managing all logistics in a situation of total blockade of Gaza. To date, there are only four bread ovens still operating in the south of the enclave and the number of destroyed buildings and infrastructure is increasing day by day.

The damage in the Gaza Strip is considerable, laments Moeth, committee engineer: “From our experience compared to previous times during the conflicts in Gaza, this war is really different. It has caused at least fifteen times more damage to buildings than anything we have experienced in the past. More “Half of the buildings in Gaza are now in ruins.”

Priority water supply

The organization asked 30 of its engineers currently on site in Gaza, in another of its branches, to prioritize actions on the greatest needs for the population. “The report we received from our men yesterday showed a need for water as a priority. We have therefore set up the delivery of drinking water using eight tanker trucks. They will spend the whole day replenishing water reserve tanks and to carry out distributions in the streets for residents”, details Moeth.

Among the 16 members of the International Arab Authority are Morocco, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, among others. All these states raise funds via campaigns calling for donations on digital platforms or via advertising spots. Since the attack on October 7, donations have increased considerably, particularly in Jordan, where the population is very sensitive to the Palestinian cause, explains the director of the association: “There is no difference between the Palestinian people and the Jordanian people. Many Palestinians are married to Jordanian women and Jordanian men are married to Palestinian women. The geographic proximity between our two peoples plays a huge role in the aid that ‘we provide.’

As soon as the blockade ends, the organization plans to send 600 engineers from member countries to assess the damage in the Gaza enclave. But according to their estimates, at this stage it would already take 20 billion dollars and two years minimum to put back on its feet everything that has already been destroyed since October 7 and the start of the war.