UNITED NATIONS, July 6: With the homes of nearly 30,000 people in the Gaza Strip demolished or damaged beyond repair by the Israeli military, the main United Nations agency helping Palestinian refugees has handed over 109 new homes to 116 families from Rafah.

“These homes are the visible expression of UNRWA’s pledge to provide shelter for all these refugees made homeless by the conflict that has raged since Sept 2000,” the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees said in a statement.

The 72 buildings will house some 670 refugees. The project has provided a total of 431 new homes.

Plans for an additional 1,210 shelters for 1,285 families are currently under way in Rafah.