Efforts to rebuild Gaza continue to be hampered by Israel’s blockade of the territory — so when can aid workers and donors expect this policy to be revoked?
“We really can’t build anything,” Bill Corcoran, president and CEO of American Near East Refugee Aid, a U.S.-based nonprofit working on the ground in Gaza, told Devex. “We’re ready to begin some rebuilding or at least repairing projects, but we can’t even begin that right now because a simple element like cement is not available on the market.”
Norway and Egypt have announced plans to hold a donor conference in Cairo focused on rebuilding Gaza — an effort that will cost $7.8 billion, according to the Palestinian Authority. But despite their demands, Israel’s blockade of the battered region is still preventing goods, supplies and even cash from going where they are most needed.
About the author
Jeff Tyson@jtyson21
Jeff is a former global development reporter for Devex. Based in Washington, D.C., he covers multilateral affairs, U.S. aid, and international development trends. He has worked with human rights organizations in both Senegal and the U.S., and prior to joining Devex worked as a production assistant at National Public Radio. He holds a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree in international relations and French from the University of Rochester.