Gaza committee unveils 71-program recovery plan amid chaos
09:59, 24/09/2026, ThursdayU: Update: 10:02, 24/09/2026, Thursday
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Ali Shaath, who heads Gaza's National Committee for Administration, told a UN meeting in New York that the enclave's recovery blueprint comprises 71 programs spanning humanitarian aid, infrastructure and security, while warning that the current patchwork of service providers has created a chaotic operational environment.
Ali Shaath, who heads Gaza's National Committee for Administration, outlined a comprehensive 71-program recovery blueprint for the war-torn enclave during a meeting of the Board of Peace on Gaza in New York on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly session. Shaath stated that the initiative covers humanitarian assistance, infrastructure rehabilitation and security sector rebuilding, and aims to consolidate fragmented relief efforts that have operated without coordination since the committee's formation in January.
The National Committee for Administration was established as a transitional Palestinian technocratic body tasked with managing civil affairs and reconstruction, yet Shaath noted that multiple actors continue to deliver services independently across the territory. "The situation in Gaza is currently chaotic, and there are multiple parties providing services in a fragmented manner," he said. "We are looking ahead to rebuilding Gaza, and we do not want to see scattered efforts."
Reconstruction challenges
The recovery task faces staggering logistical hurdles, with the UN, World Bank and EU jointly estimating Gaza's reconstruction needs at $71.4 billion over ten years following widespread destruction caused by the Israeli genocide. More than 371,000 housing units have been destroyed or damaged, leaving hundreds of thousands shelterless, while the education system collapsed with most schools damaged and hundreds of thousands of students displaced. "We are working to rebuild the enclave and enable Gaza's children to return to school," Shaath said, noting that Palestinian authorities have arranged 700 in-person learning points for 541,000 students for the current academic year.
Winter weather now threatens to compound the misery, as nearly 1.98 million Palestinians — out of a population of roughly 2.1 million — require shelter-related assistance and 91% of households face moderate to severe water insecurity, according to UN assessments. Shaath warned that "the challenges are significant as winter approaches in Gaza," with large numbers of families living in tents, temporary shelters or damaged buildings ahead of the rainy season.