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.