Rebuilding bombed Gaza homes may take 80 years: UN

Rebuilding homes in the Gaza Strip could drag into the next century if the pace follows that of previous conflicts, according to a report by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) released on Thursday.

The UNDP says Gaza needs "approximately 80 years to restore all the fully destroyed housing units".

However, a best case scenario in which construction materials are delivered five times faster, as they were following the conflict in 2021, could have reconstruction complete by 2040.

"Unprecedented levels of human losses, capital destruction, and the steep rise in poverty in such a short period of time will precipitate a serious development crisis that jeopardises the future of generations to come," UNDP administrator Achim Steiner said in a statement.

The report says that should the war last for nine months, poverty in Gaza is set to increase from 38.8% to 60.7% of the enclave's population.