99.2% of Gaza's cultural heritage destroyed

CAIRO - 25 July 2024: A World Bank report has revealed alarming and distressing figures about the sectors damaged in Gaza over the past month due to the ongoing Israeli aggression.

According to the estimates in the report, all sectors, except for agriculture, have suffered more than 60% damage or destruction since the beginning of the conflict.

Agriculture has been affected by over 44%. The most impacted sector is cultural heritage, with a staggering 99.2% affected, followed by education at 94.5%. Information and communication technology (ICT) has seen a 2.2% decline but is one of the few sectors reported to have undergone repairs.

The World Bank's detailed statement included a table showing the current impact of damage and destruction by sector in Gaza. The health sector reported a 93.3% impact as of May 20, 2024, with four additional assets damaged or destroyed, bringing the total current impact on the health sector to 93.8%.

The report also indicated that 62% of residential buildings and approximately 64% of housing units (~300,000) suffered partial or total damage, a +0.01% increase in damage from the May report. More than 1.3 million Palestinians are homeless, and 1.7 million are internally displaced, with most seeking refuge in UNRWA facilities, including schools.

Deir al-Balah recorded 29% (171 incidents) of the reported housing damage from May 20 to June 23, 2024, followed by Central Gaza at 28% (166 incidents) and Rafah at 27% (163 incidents). Media monitoring between May 20 and June 23, 2024, reported at least 597 housing damage incidents, averaging 17 housing destruction incidents daily.

In the energy sector, more than 62.4% of feeder lines were damaged or destroyed, with feeder line disruptions continuing from May to June, as they have since the beginning of the conflict. However, media reports indicated that due to pressure from Western allies, Israel plans to supply electricity directly to one of the main desalination plants in central Gaza.

The report highlighted that more than 84% of assessed water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities were damaged or destroyed, a +19.8% increase from the May report. A total of 81 assets were damaged, including 27 water wells, 19 sewage pumping stations, 13 water tanks, 12 brackish water desalination plants, eight stormwater basins, and two stormwater pumping stations.

The governorates with the most significant increases in damage included Khan Younis (32 assets), North Gaza (22 assets), Rafah (11 assets), and Gaza (11 assets).