The reconstruction of hospitals and medical practices in the Gaza Strip will reportedly cost several billion dollars, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday.
Initial estimates suggest that around $3 billion is required for the health sector alone over the next 18 months.
For a time frame of five to seven years, the demand is expected to reach $10 billion, said Rik Peeperkorn, the WHO representative responsible for the Palestinian Territories. He provided these figures during a WHO press conference.
“The destruction is so massive, I have never seen that anywhere in my life,” said Peeperkorn, who has often been on site since the start of the Israeli war against the Palestinian Islamist organization Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Virtually every hospital and medical practice has either been destroyed or damaged, he said.
With the ceasefire agreement, which is expected to come into effect on Sunday, hope for a lasting peace has increased.
Analyses of the reconstruction costs are rapidly being compiled at the United Nations, the World Bank, the European Union and other organizations.
The reconstruction is a shared responsibility, said Peeperkorn. It must be funded by WHO members worldwide, including Israel, he added.
