The Long Journey to Rebuild Gaza: Resilience Amidst Ruins

As Gazans start returning home after an extended displacement of 15 months due to conflict, they confront severe humanitarian challenges, including a lack of basic infrastructure and scarcity of resources. While the initial needs for food and shelter are being addressed, the long-term process of rebuilding from nothing looms large, leaving many uncertain about their future.

As the sun rises over the devastated Gaza Strip, displaced residents embark on their journey back home, navigating a terrain marked by destruction and uncertainty. For many of the tens of thousands of Gazans returning after 15 months of displacement, the distance back may be short, but the challenges ahead are monumental.

"It's time to start over," said Gazan journalist Ghada el-Kurd, who is making her way back to Deir el-Balah after months in temporary shelter. "But we’re starting from zero—no facilities, no electricity, no water."

The immediate humanitarian situation is dire, though aid is beginning to flow into the enclave at levels not seen since the outbreak of hostilities. “We can meet the bare essentials in food, water, and hygiene supplies,” explained UN's Sam Rose, yet reiterated that a long and arduous journey lies ahead in the recovery efforts.

Upon returning, residents face the immediate threat of inadequate shelter. According to the UN, approximately 70% of the Gaza Strip's buildings have been either damaged or completely destroyed since the fighting escalated in October 2023. Jabaliya, once home to around 200,000 people, exemplifies this devastation, leaving its future residents with few options for housing.

The Gaza Government Media Office is calling for urgent support in providing tents and temporary caravans for returning families. However, the UN cautions that meeting these pressing demands may prove challenging, given the global limitations on manufactured tents.

As people begin to reclaim their homes, anxiety over space and accommodations mounts. "With several families now living together under one roof, tensions are high," Asmaa Tayeh shared, reflecting on how the influx of returnees exacerbates already scarce housing.

Despite the daunting circumstances, many returning Gazans express optimism about returning home. One woman proclaimed, “We are overjoyed to come back to the north, far from the suffering of the south.”

International politics complicate the situation further, with some leaders suggesting temporary relocation of refugees to neighboring countries. However, officials from both Egypt and Jordan rejected the notion, fearing social instability from a sudden influx of displaced people.

As the immediate battle for shelter and sustenance unfolds, Gazans are left grappling with an uncertain future. “Without timely reconstruction and hope for a better future, many are likely to leave,” el-Kurd warns, reflecting on the grim outlook ahead.

As Gaza faces the daunting task of rebuilding from ruins, the question looms: will they find a path to recovery, or will the well of despair drive many to seek new lives far from home?