Issam Youssef: What is required to restore life to stricken Gaza? | policy

The Israeli war on the Gaza Strip ended, the crimes of the occupation stopped – although the violations did not stop – and a new war began related to providing the people’s needs that affect all aspects of life, starting from drinking safe water, all the way to rebuilding their city, which the Israeli occupation army turned into ruin and destruction, unfit for life.

Here the need arises for a comprehensive humanitarian, relief and development plan that addresses the effects of the disaster from all aspects. This calls us to talk in more detail about the basic needs of Gaza, and what international, relief and charitable bodies are required to work on.

Emergency relief aspect

Action is required to provide water and basic food urgently and continuously in light of the famine whose effects are still present, especially with the occupation continuing to prevent the entry of sufficient relief aid, and preventing the entry of goods for merchants, and all sectors, industrial, commercial, and the private sector.

Work is required to provide shelter materials immediately: tents, mattresses, blankets, kitchen utensils, and basic furniture, because tens of thousands of families are still displaced in the streets due to the large scale of destruction and vandalism and the demolition of homes and residential squares.

As winter approaches, clothing and shoes are required for children, women and men.

The health aspect

The first goal currently should be focused on restoring destroyed hospitals and health centers, supporting medical personnel and equipping them with the necessary equipment and devices, providing basic medicines and medical supplies (antibiotics, surgical instruments, sterilization materials…), and equipping intensive care units and mobile operating rooms.

Also supporting mental health services, providing prosthetic limbs and physical therapy for the injured, and restarting maternity and vaccination centers, private clinics, and medical points in shelter centers.

Reconstruction

The first step currently must be to remove the rubble and remnants of war and open the streets to allow the freedom of movement of residents and their return to what remains of their homes, then move to the step of providing temporary housing in the form of caravans and restoring what can be restored of the partially demolished homes.

We will also work to rehabilitate the electricity, water and sewage networks and repair vital roads. We will also work to repair the power generation station and power lines, restart the power station and provide fuel for the power stations.

Educational aspect

It is required to restore schools, educational buildings, universities, colleges and institutes to allow the return of students who have been deprived of education for two years, and to provide mobile or temporary schools for children.

But before that, work must be done to provide psychological and educational support to the affected students, as well as work on remedial programs to erase the effects of the long interruption of the educational process and its impact on students and their families, especially students who have lost their families or a family member.

Economic aspect

Support small projects for affected families, provide soft loans or financial grants to the unemployed, provide vocational training opportunities for young people, and support farmers and fishermen to restore their sources of livelihood.

Environmental aspect

The file of treating water and soil pollution is very important, starting with the arrival of potable water to the population, as well as repairing the soil for agriculture, and this cannot be done without the safe disposal of medical and war waste, confronting epidemics and pests resulting from the destruction, and community awareness about public hygiene and health.

This is a quick and brief summary of Gaza’s needs, knowing that each item requires a lot of explanation, detail, and work on it. Gaza needs to be rebuilt again in all aspects of life so that life can return to the stricken city.

But what is required of international, relief and charitable agencies to do this? It can be summarized into clauses.

• Activating safe and sustainable humanitarian corridors and putting pressure on the occupation to open the crossings and allow all supplies to enter without restrictions and conditions.
• Full coordination with local organizations.
• Pressure on the occupation to lift the siege comprehensively.
• Allocate flexible, long-term budgets for reconstruction.
• Providing integrated psychological and community support for survivors.
• Involving the local community in planning and implementation to ensure sustainability.