FIFA, Arab League, World Bank: Who's pledging what toward Gaza’s $70B reconstruction?
More than 90% of Gaza’s residential buildings have been damaged, and nearly 70% of all structures have either been severely damaged or leveled over the course of the war.
After a summit of world leaders in Egypt on Monday, attention is turning to who will fund the roughly $70 billion needed to rebuild Gaza amid a ceasefire that has held for five days. The effort has drawn pledges from countries, international organizations and even FIFA, global soccer’s governing body, which on Tuesday committed to rebuilding sports infrastructure and youth programs in the territory.
At a press conference in Geneva on Tuesday, United Nations Development Program official Jaco Cilliers told reporters that the UN has heard positive indications from a number of countries willing to contribute to the estimated $70 billion needed to rebuild Gaza. Cilliers said that Canada, European and Arab nations as well as the US have indicated a willingness to help.
Over 90% of Gaza’s population has been displaced since October 2023, according to UN estimates, and the territory of around 140 square miles (225 square kilometers) has seen unprecedented destruction over the course of the war. The United Nations estimates that 92% of the Strip’s residential buildings have been destroyed while a July study by Israel’s Hebrew University estimated that almost 70% of all buildings in Gaza have been severely damaged or leveled. The resulting rubble is estimated at roughly 55 million tons, according to UN figures.
Arab and regional involvement
