Gaza, which has been living under the weight of Israel’s war of extermination for more than two years, is now facing one of the greatest humanitarian disasters of modern times. Widespread destruction that has affected all sectors of Palestinian society.

A statistical report issued by the Gaza Government Media Office, a copy of which was obtained by the Canary, highlighted the scale of direct losses, which exceeded $70 billion and affected all areas of life in the sector. The damage ranged from from health and education to housing and basic services, confirming the continuing humanitarian suffering of more than 2.4 million Palestinians.

Gaza tragedy

The continuous bombing of hospitals and medical centres has led to initial losses estimated at $5 billion. Meanwhile losses in education have exceeded $4 billion, with schools and universities destroyed. The education sector has lost thousands of teachers and researchers, including 830 teachers and 193 scientists and researchers. In addition, some 785,000 students have been deprived of their right to education for the third consecutive year, which will have a catastrophic impact on future generations.

The war has destroyed thousands of homes, resulting in initial losses in the housing sector estimated at $28 billion, while damage to religious institutions amounted to approximately $1 billion, with 835 mosques and three churches destroyed. These losses were not limited to infrastructure, but also led to the displacement of tens of thousands of residents and created a general state of insecurity and deprivation.

Destruction of the production sector and economic life

The local industry suffered initial destruction worth $4 billion, trade $4.5 billion, and agriculture $2.8 billion. The media sector incurred losses of up to $4 billion, and the entertainment and hotel sector $2 billion.
These figures reveal the near-total collapse of the local economy, exacerbating the suffering of the population under the ongoing blockade and shortage of basic resources.

Homes and household services were affected to the tune of $4 billion, while communications and internet networks suffered $3 billion in damage, transportation $2.8 billion, electricity $1.4 billion, and municipalities and public services around $6 billion. Taken together, these losses reflect the daily suffering of the population from power cuts, water shortages and the disruption of vital services, making life in the Strip almost impossible.

Ongoing humanitarian tragedy

These figures confirm that Gaza is not just a war zone, but an ongoing humanitarian tragedy that threatens future generations. The report calls on the international community to take immediate action to stop the violence, protect civilians, ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid, work to rebuild the sector and rehabilitate its infrastructure, and find a fair mechanism to compensate for the losses, in order to ensure a dignified life for the people of Gaza after two years of continuous destruction.

Featured image via YouTube screenshot/Associated Press

By Alaa Shamali

This post was originally published on Canary.