Recycling rubble to rebuild Gaza homes a risky necessity
While the widely available and cheap material is needed in Gaza's resource-poor construction sector, rebuilding with the rubble of Gaza's destroyed buildings poses challenges.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — The Gaza Strip has endured four wars in 13 years, leaving behind a lot of debris and rubble. Local construction companies have found a way to use it and provide opportunities for many workers in an area that lacks building materials amid the Israeli blockade in place since 2007.
While the material can be of wide use, recovering and processing it involves risks, as the material may be damaged. Its availability means some residents us it for much more purposes than is safe.
The Ministry of Public Works and Housing in Gaza reported that the last 11-day war in May 2021 has left 270,000 tons of rubble, while the United Nations Development Program says that it has worked with the local private sector to remove 2.5 million metric tons of rubble left over from previous wars.
Gaza resident Raafat Rizk told Al-Monitor, “I had not intended to complete the construction of my new house now, but the availability of low-cost materials made out of the rubble of destroyed buildings encouraged me to do so.” He explained that the walls of his house are made of blocks manufactured from the rubble of buildings but he used Israeli gravel, which is of better quality but more expensive, to construct the concrete roof.
