GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Mohammad Tuman sat by the door of his unfinished house in Gaza's Khan Yunis camp contemplating when the second phase of his home's restoration will be completed. The reconstruction is part of a Qatari project called Maskan Kareem (A Decent House) that restores old houses located in densely populated camps. Several other families are similarly waiting for their house restoration work to be completed.

As Tuman tore some old cement bags, he told Al-Monitor, “After the June 5 Gulf decision to cut relations with Qatar, I am afraid that my house might never be fully reconstructed. It still needs windows and electrical and water repairs. The floors are sandy, and I'm afraid I might be forced to rent a house again. I cannot afford that now.”

Four associations and charities in Gaza operate under Qatari supervision. The Qatar Charity specializes in social development and economic projects, the Qatar Red Crescent offers medical aid, Al-Fakhoora Dynamics Futures Programme provides educational empowerment and scholarships, and the Qatari Gaza Reconstruction Committee focuses on repairing what Israel has destroyed in Gaza.

The Qatari Gaza Reconstruction Committee, which began its work in October 2012, is one of the largest donor associations in the Gaza Strip. The Qatari grant provided for the funding of several projects in Gaza amounting to $407 million. The committee has carried out major projects in the Gaza Strip, including $160 million worth of reconstruction and housing projects, namely the Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani residential city, which includes more than 3,000 residential units and is located in Khan Yunis, and the Salahuddin main street rehabilitation project worth $155 million.