Gaza: Reconstruction
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he plans to take to help reconstruction efforts in Gaza.
Answered by Mr Hamish Falconer
The UK is committed to the recovery, stabilisation and reconstruction of the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) as soon as the context allows. Planning for that must start now. The UK is clear: this must be Palestinian-led and support a political process towards a two-state solution. The UK's humanitarian aid and technical assistance, including through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and to the Palestinian Authority, is helping to support Gaza and prepare for that next phase. But the scale of the challenge is large. According to a UN/World Bank assessment earlier this year, reconstruction costs will exceed $18.5 billion. The UK is therefore committed to working with international partners, other donors, the UN, World Bank and private sector to begin planning for how we can meet this challenge.
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