The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) Executive Director Jorge Moreira da Silva warned that the Gaza Strip is now overwhelmed by more than 60 million tons of rubble, a scale of destruction so vast that clearing it could take more than seven years, even under the best conditions.
In a statement issued after he visited Gaza on Thursday, da Silva said, “I have just returned from Gaza, where the humanitarian crisis is deepening. People are exhausted, shocked, and living in despair.”
He noted that relentless winter storms and heavy rainfall are worsening the suffering of displaced families who lack adequate shelter.
Da Silva stressed that the recovery of Gaza’s two million residents, especially in areas devastated by Israeli attacks, requires urgent action to provide safe shelter, fuel, and large‑scale debris removal.
He explained that the rubble now covering the Strip is equivalent to the load of nearly 3,000 container ships, adding that “each person in Gaza is now surrounded by an average of 30 tons of debris.”
He described the scale of destruction as “unbelievable,” noting that homes, schools, clinics, roads, and water and electricity networks have been destroyed or severely damaged.
Da Silva also warned of the long‑term impact on children, whose daily lives are now shaped by trauma and loss.
With schooling disrupted for a third consecutive year, he said Gaza’s children face the risk of becoming a “lost generation” unless reconstruction and recovery efforts begin immediately.
