Rebuilding homes in the Gaza Strip could drag into the next century if the pace follows the trend of previous conflicts, Reuters reports quoting a newly-released UN report.

The assessment, released by the UN Development Programme (UNDP), said Gaza needs “approximately 80 years to restore all the fully destroyed housing units”. However, in a best-case scenario in which construction materials are delivered five times as fast as in the last crisis in 2021, it could be done by 2040, the report said.

“Unprecedented levels of human losses, capital destruction, and the steep rise in poverty in such a short period of time will precipitate a serious development crisis that jeopardises the future of generations to come,” said UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner in a statement.

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