UN and EU report human development in Gaza set back by 77 years News
Jaber Jehad Badwan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
UN and EU report human development in Gaza set back by 77 years

The UN and the European Union (EU) released on Monday their final Gaza Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA), estimating Gaza’s recovery needs at $71.4 billion over the next decade.

The UN and EU advocate for a sustained ceasefire and call on the international community to mobilize resources to address RDNA concerns in a “targeted, sequenced, coordinated manner.”

The RDNA states that “[t]he scale and extent of deprivation across living conditions, livelihoods/income, food security, gender equality, and social inclusion, have pushed back human development in the Gaza Strip by 77 years.” This is reflected in the projected collapse of the Human Development Index (HDI) to 0.339 on the 1.0 scale.

The RDNA found an estimated $35.2 billion in physical damages and $22.7 billion in economic losses. The greatest needs fall within a few key sectors requiring billions in funding commitments. Specifically, $16.2 billion for housing, $10.5 billion for agriculture and food systems, $10 billion for health, and commerce and industry requiring $9 billion.

Less than 50 percent of hospitals remain partially functional. Nearly 1.2 million Palestinians have lost their housing, and 1.9 million have been displaced, often numerous times. The report also addresses the severe impacts on women and the mental health needs of 100 percent of children.

More than 71,000 Palestinian fatalities and over 171,000 injuries, resulting in a vast increase in disabilities, have been reported in the last two years. Many people remain missing under the rubble.

The report sets the groundwork for recovery planning and reconstruction. Some of the conditions they emphasize include unimpeded aid access, free movement of people, goods, and reconstruction materials, and a “credible pathway for the PA’s [Palestinian Authority] future governance across the entire Occupied Palestinian territory, including Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem.” In their press release, the UN centers Palestinian involvement in this process, writing:

The EU and UN emphasise that recovery and reconstruction should be Palestinian-led and should support the transition of governance to the Palestinian Authority, while advancing a durable political settlement based on the two-State solution … Planning and implementation should be inclusive, transparent, and accountable, with particular attention to the needs of women, children, elderly, and persons with disabilities.

However, assessment was framed in line with UN Security Council resolution 2803 which welcomed the establishment of the US-led Board Of Peace as a ‘transitional administration.’

The Board has been criticized by rights groups for bypassing the UN, while failing to center Palestinian rights, and centralizing power over these matters. UN experts also take issue with the Board, stating:

The right of Palestinians to self-determination is inalienable…Decision-making concerning Gaza’s reconstruction and future should be in the hands of Palestinians, who should be able to remain and return voluntarily and in safety to their land and properties. Their right to self-determination also extends to decisions concerning the…type of development they wish to pursue. Such decisions should not be imposed by foreign leaders.

A tenuous US-backed ceasefire was entered in October 2025. Israeli violations have been reported, including by the UN. Gaza’s Ministry of Health reports that at least 777 people have been killed since the agreement took effect.

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