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$53bn Needed To Rebuild Gaza, UN Estimates
More than $53 billion will be required to rebuild Gaza and end the “humanitarian catastrophe” that has gripped the war-ravaged territory, including $20 billion in the first three years alone, the United Nations said Tuesday.
The global body said in a report that a “political and security framework” must also be put in place so that recovery and rebuilding can begin, and groundwork can be laid for a political process to quickly end the Israeli occupation “and establish a viable two-State solution.”
Much of Gaza — including schools, hospitals and other civic infrastructure — has been reduced to rubble by a withering Israeli military offensive following an unprecedented Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.
“The interim assessment offers an early indication of the enormous scale of recovery and reconstruction needs in the Gaza Strip,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in the document, cautioning that it was not a full assessment.
“The report estimates the short, medium and long-term recovery and reconstruction needs across the Gaza Strip at $53.142 billion. Of these, the near-term needs in the first three years are estimated to be around $20.568 billion,” he added.
In a resolution adopted in December calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza, the UN General Assembly had asked Guterres to provide an assessment of the territory’s needs within two months.
The report assessed that with “over 60 per cent of homes” destroyed in the year-plus war between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, the housing sector requires around $15.2 billion.
According to the report, the commerce and health sectors will need an estimated $6.9 billion.
Reviving the agricultural industry will take around $4.2 billion, transport will require $2.9 billion, water and sanitation an estimated $2.7 billion and education $2.6 billion.
The report also noted the exceptionally high costs of $1.9 billion anticipated for the environmental sector “due to the massive debris laced with unexploded ordnance and the high cost associated with debris removal.”
The United Nations has estimated that the war has generated more than 50 million tons of debris, including human remains, unexploded ordnance, asbestos and other hazardous substances.
“Critically, the Palestinian Authority must be at the centre of planning for and the implementation of recovery and reconstruction in Gaza,” Guterres said in the report, which was dated January 30.
That was days before US President Donald Trump said he wanted to “take over” Gaza, redevelop the territory and oust the more than two million Palestinians living there.
His plan has prompted a global backlash and has been rejected by Palestinians.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, has charged soldiers to brace up in order to secure Nigerians better and tackle insurgency in the South-West.
Oluyede made this known on Friday while addressing soldiers during his maiden operational visit to 32 Artillery Brigade Owena Cantonment, Akure.
The COAS, who said that Nigeria was facing with different security challenges, said there was need for all personnel and officers to rise up collectively and stop the menace.
“We are doing our best with other sister agencies and other security agencies to bring these challenges to the bare minimum.
“I want to tell you this afternoon that the entire Nigerian state, the entire Nigerian people are depending on you to bring all these challenges to an end.
“If there is no security, there can’t be development. So, whether you like it or not, it’s affecting you and I.
“The money the government is spending on security is so huge that if we can make Nigerians better secured, those monies can be channeled to make the lives of all Nigerians better.
“Nigerians are looking up to us to make things better. So what that means is that you must be ready to double your efforts, to work harder,” he said.
Oluyede, who promised to ensure the welfare of the soldiers and officers, said that he would do his best to make things better.
According to him, there is a plan to build houses for soldiers across the formations to ensure they have a place to live when retired from the service.
“As we speak, we plan to produce at least 100,000 uniforms every month. So the first set is going to be split between 81 Div and 2 Div, and that will be done tomorrow,
“You must be ready to face the challenges. As we are pursuing the criminals from the north, we have realised that some of them are coming down from the South-West.
“What does that mean? What does that tell you? That work is coming. And it is better you nip it in the bud than allow it to grow. Once it grows, it becomes a monster.
“We don’t want another North-East. Neither do we want another North-West. So you must brace up to that challenge,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the highlights of the event include the gun drill display of 35mm Oerlikon Anti-Aircraft (AA). (NAN)
The federal government has pledged to support and promote the production of a documentary on Nigeria’s 25 years of uninterrupted democracy.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris gave the assurance while receiving the executive of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) on Friday in Abuja.
He described the proposed documentary, an initiative of IPAC, as a critical chronicle of Nigeria’s democratic journey over the past 25 years.
The film aims to celebrate achievements, acknowledge challenges, and highlight democratic lessons learned in the last 25 years.
“It pleases me to acknowledge the untiring efforts of IPAC and its leadership in fostering democracy. This documentary, through the medium of film, will serve as a long-lasting historical record honouring our nation’s political heroes and showcasing our democratic credentials. To this end, the federal government, through the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, is willing to support this unique documentary,” he said.
The minister also expressed his gratitude to IPAC for its dedication to democratic development and emphasised the importance of political parties working together beyond elections to foster national unity and progress.
“The government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu supports healthy political competition, as democracy thrives on constructive opposition and national interest-driven collaboration, irrespective of party affiliations,” he said.
He further noted that sustaining democracy is a collective effort. “Political parties are the foundation of democracy. While competition during elections is natural, we must come together afterward to build our nation. President Tinubu, being a true democrat, values healthy competition but also prioritises unity and national progress.”
In his response, the National Chairman of IPAC, Hon. Yusuf Dantalle stated that the documentary would highlight Nigeria’s advancements in infrastructure, healthcare, education, and social cohesion.
“The documentary, in addition to being a historical marker, is targeted at the younger generation, particularly Gen Z, as it will serve as an educational resource and a unifying narrative of Nigeria’s democratic evolution. It will feature some of Nollywood’s finest actors and will be produced with state-of-the-art equipment, matching global standards in quality and impact,” he said.
The IPAC delegation included its Deputy National Chairman, Dipo Olayokun; a Council Member, Chief Dan Nwayanwu; and the National Secretary of the Council, Maxwell Mabudem, among other executives.
President Bola Tinubu articulated on Thursday the rationale behind his administration’s economic reforms, saying the primary motive was protecting the interests of future generations.
“For 50 years, Nigeria was spending money of generations yet unborn and servicing the West coast of our subregion with fuel. It was getting difficult to plan for our children’s future,” he said.
He made these remarks at the State House in Abuja while receiving a delegation of former National Assembly colleagues from the aborted Third Republic, during which he served as a Senator representing Lagos West.
The president highlighted the challenges faced at the beginning of his administration, especially economic and social issues, and expressed his gratitude for the delegation’s support in addressing these difficulties:
“We faced serious headwinds when I took over, very challenging times. Nigeria would have been bankrupt if we had not taken the actions that we took, and we had to prevent the economy’s collapse.
President Tinubu declared that the administration had been able to stem the tide and expressed appreciation to Nigerians for their collective support in turning things around.
“Today, we are sitting pretty on a good foundation. We have reversed the problem; the Exchange rate is stabilising. Food prices are coming down, especially during Ramadan. We will have light at the end of the tunnel.”
He said firm adherence to democratic tenets is the best route to economic, social, and political development.
“I am happy that you are holding to your belief in democracy. I thank you for keeping faith and remembering how we started. Some people missed the ball.
“Some leadership failed, but we kept the faith with our democratic beliefs and freedom and the right to aspire to the highest office in the land. I am benefitting from it.”
Emmanuel Nwaka, who spoke on behalf of the group, expressed his delight at some of the programmes that the Tinubu administration had implemented, especially the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) and the Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation (CREDICORP) and at what the two organisations were offering Nigerians.
“I appreciate you for what you are giving to students because the student population is the largest demographic in the country. I’ve spoken with many of them, and many have benefited from it.
“And the next one is the CREDICORP. That’s a major way of fighting corruption. You see a young man, you come out of school, you want to buy a car, you have to put down cash, you want to buy a house, and you are not married, but with the CREDICORP, you can get things done. I’m following their activities; we are delighted,” Mr Nwaka, a former senator, said.
Other delegation members were Bako Musa, Terwase Orbunde, Wasiu Logun, Amina Aliyu, Obi Anoliefo and Eze Nwauwa.