RAMALLAH, May 21, 2026 (WAFA) – Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa met on Thursday in his office in Ramallah with representatives of the World Bank, the United Nations, and the European Union, including World Bank representative Stefan Emblad, UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator Ramiz Alakbarov, and EU representative Alexandre Stutzmann, in the presence of Finance Minister Estephan Salameh.
The meeting focused on reviewing and discussing the updated international Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA) report on the Gaza Strip.
Mustafa welcomed the efforts to update the damage assessment report after months since the ceasefire took effect, praising cooperation between international institutions and Palestinian institutions. He stressed that the report forms a key basis for coordinating recovery and reconstruction efforts and for unifying international interventions to meet the needs of the Palestinian people in Gaza.
He reiterated that the Gaza Strip is an integral part of the Palestinian state and emphasized the government’s readiness to work with partners to ensure implementation of recovery and reconstruction processes. He also stressed the importance of ensuring that all international interventions support Palestinian governmental efforts and strengthen national institutions’ ability to manage the reconstruction phase.
Mustafa highlighted the need to launch the first phase of early recovery and accelerate urgent interventions, particularly temporary shelter, restarting basic services, and supporting the health sector and food security, in order to alleviate the suffering of residents in Gaza.
The report, issued jointly by the World Bank, the United Nations, and the European Union, estimates that total damages and losses caused by the war in Gaza between October 2023 and October 2025 exceed $75 billion.
It details that direct infrastructure damage amounts to $35.2 billion, while economic losses reach $22.7 billion.
By sector, the housing sector is the most affected, with damages estimated at $18 billion, followed by trade and industry at $9 billion, transport at $3.21 billion, and water and sanitation at $1.70 billion. The health sector recorded the largest economic losses at $6.78 billion, in addition to $1.39 billion in direct damage.
The report states that the housing sector requires approximately $16.2 billion for reconstruction, followed by agriculture and food security at $10.5 billion, the health sector at $10 billion, and trade and industry at $9 billion, together accounting for about 64% of total reconstruction needs.
It also notes that more than 1.9 million Palestinians have been internally displaced, and around 60% of Gaza’s population has lost their homes, amid a severe deterioration in basic services and a deepening humanitarian crisis.
The report estimates urgent early recovery needs at $10.8 billion, while long-term reconstruction is expected to cost more than $45 billion over the next five years.
It stresses that successful recovery and reconstruction will require broad international coordination, urgent and sustainable funding, and a clear division of roles between international and national actors to ensure rebuilding and restoring living conditions in Gaza.
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