Gaza administration committee says recovery plan includes 71 programs amid ‘chaotic’ situation

The head of Gaza's National Committee for Administration said Wednesday that its recovery plan for the enclave includes 71 programs covering humanitarian aid, infrastructure and security.

He described the current situation as "chaotic" because multiple actors are providing services separately.

Ali Shaath made the remarks during a meeting of the Board of Peace on Gaza in New York on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly session.

The meeting addressed plans for recovery, reconstruction and management of public services in the Gaza Strip after widespread destruction caused by the Israeli genocide.

"The situation in Gaza is currently chaotic, and there are multiple parties providing services in a fragmented manner," said Shaath.

"We are looking ahead to rebuilding Gaza, and we do not want to see scattered efforts," he added.

The National Committee for Administration of Gaza was established in January as a transitional Palestinian technocratic body tasked with managing public services and day-to-day civil affairs in the enclave, as well as recovery and reconstruction efforts.

Shaath said the committee's mission is to provide services to the population given the scale of destruction.

"Our recovery plan includes 71 programs covering humanitarian aid, infrastructure and security," he said.

The committee faces a massive task amid extensive destruction of homes, facilities and infrastructure across the enclave.

The UN, World Bank and EU have estimated Gaza's recovery and reconstruction needs at around $71.4 billion over 10 years.

More than 371,000 housing units in Gaza have been destroyed or damaged, leaving hundreds of thousands of Palestinians without homes and forcing many to live in tents, shelters or damaged buildings, according to an assessment by the three bodies.

"We are working to rebuild the enclave and enable Gaza's children to return to school," said Shaath.

The Israeli war caused a major education crisis, damaging or destroying most schools in Gaza and forcing hundreds of thousands of students out of classrooms for extended periods.

With the start of the 2026–2027 school year, Palestinian authorities made arrangements for 541,000 students to continue their education through 700 in-person learning points, along with temporary schools and online learning.

Shaath also said the committee had submitted "many projects to restore Gaza's economy," which contracted sharply during the war as thousands of commercial, industrial and agricultural facilities were destroyed or put out of operation, while roads and electricity, water and telecommunications networks suffered extensive damage.

Recovery priorities include restoring basic facilities, repairing water and electricity networks, roads, health facilities and schools, as well as providing shelter and supporting economic activity.

Shaath warned that "the challenges are significant as winter approaches in Gaza."

Large numbers of Palestinians continue to live in tents, temporary shelters or damaged buildings amid shortages of shelter materials and difficulties repairing homes before the rainy season.

The UN estimates that 1.98 million Palestinians in Gaza require shelter-related assistance out of a population of about 2.1 million.

Basic services also remain under severe strain. The UN estimates that 91% of households covered by recent assessments face moderate to severe water insecurity, while the health sector continues to operate at limited capacity because of damage to hospitals and shortages of equipment and supplies.

Recovery efforts are continuing despite the lingering effects of the war and casualties reported after the ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10, 2025.

Nearly three years of genocide have left tens of thousands of Palestinians killed and wounded, displaced around 1.9 million people and caused widespread destruction to homes, infrastructure and basic services.

In August, the National Committee for Administration of Gaza held a meeting with UN agencies to coordinate early recovery plans and identify priority interventions as part of efforts to move from an emergency humanitarian response toward restoring services and rebuilding the enclave.