Gaza war inflicts catastrophic damage on infrastructure and economy

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Gaza Strip, triggered by Hamas's cross-border attack on Oct. 7, has brought upheaval and destruction to the Palestinian territory on a scale never before seen in the enclave.

Here are latest estimates from international organisations on the socio-economic impact of the conflict.

Housing
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), quoting data from the Palestinian public works and housing department, said Israeli attacks had destroyed more than 41,000 housing units and damaged more than 222,000 housing units. In all, it said at least 45% of Gaza's housing units had reportedly been damaged or destroyed.

It was impossible to independently verify the numbers, but Reuters reporters in Gaza say the destruction is on a huge scale.

An Israeli reporter who was taken to see the Gazan town of Beit Hanoun by the Israeli military reported on Nov. 12 that «barely a single inhabitable building remains standing». More than 52,000 people had lived there before the war.

Hospitals and schools
In a Nov.

15 report, OCHA said 279 educational facilities had reportedly been damaged, more than 51% of the total, with none of Gaza's 625,000 students able to access education.

According to Gaza's Ministry of Health, as of Nov. 16, only nine of the enclave's 35 hospitals in Gaza were partially functioning. The rest have shut down formal medical services.

OCHA said 55 ambulances in Gaza had been damaged, with critical shortages reported of drugs and blood products.

Water and sanitation
The U.N.