On my visit to Gaza today, the destruction was overwhelming, on a scale beyond imagination. With 1.9 million people displaced, the human toll is heavy, with lives lost and families in mourning. It is heartbreaking. But the resilience of the Palestinian people is just as clear. Based on our General Assembly mandate, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is fully engaged on the ground. Due to the impacts of war, Gaza has lost nearly 70 years of development progress. We are now working to kickstart a Palestinian owned and led early recovery, providing basic services and boosting the businesses that are ready to scale up again. Gaza is in a critical phase, and laying this groundwork will pave the way for wider stabilization.

Palestinians are ready to re-start, and supporting livelihoods is critical to ensuring that people can make a daily wage. Our recent mapping of investment opportunities for small and medium enterprises lays the groundwork to boost economic expansion, and the businesses are ready. UNDP has supported 6,000 employment opportunities across the Gaza Strip since October 2023, with another 3,000 in 2026. 

Providing basic services, such as debris removal and solid waste collection, is critical to public health and recovery. UNDP has started moving the giant solid waste pile up at Firas Market in Gaza City, to eventually re-open the market as a vibrant economic hub once again. Daily debris collection and crushing sites are also operating at maximum capacity, though access for additional machinery is vital. 

Shelter is also a critical need. We cannot face another winter with 1.9 million displaced Palestinians continuing to live in tents. 200,000 relief housing units or pre-fab houses are needed in Gaza to support displaced families. UNDP’s neighborhood approach, working with other UN agencies, is ensuring shelter, basic services, and education and health needs are provided as a package. 

In the area of governance, UNDP stands ready to support legitimate and internationally recognized institutional mechanisms, in line with relevant UN mandates and resolutions. Our objective is to help restore accountable, inclusive, and transparent structures that can effectively serve the population. Through principled engagement and coordinated partnerships, internationally and in Gaza, UNDP aims to contribute to stability, public trust, and a sustainable pathway toward democratic governance. 

Through two years of war, UNDP stayed and delivered, thanks to the perseverance and resilience of our national staff. Now, we are scaling up, and ready to continue supporting the Palestinian people.