Egypt’s FM, Director of UNDP discuss Gaza Reconstruction Plan

CAIRO – 15 March 2025: Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigration Badr Abdelatty met with Abdallah Al Dardari, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and Director of the Regional Bureau for Arab States at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), on Saturday, March 15, 2025. 

The meeting focused on the Arab Plan for the Reconstruction of Gaza and the Cairo Ministerial Conference for Early Recovery and Reconstruction of Gaza, according to a statement released by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday.

Minister Abdelatty expressed his commitment to supporting the UNDP in implementing the Arab Plan for Gaza's reconstruction, particularly in the early recovery phase. He emphasized Egypt's intention to benefit from the UNDP's expertise in preparing for the reconstruction of the Strip. Additionally, the Minister expressed his desire to provide support for the Cairo Ministerial Conference for Gaza's reconstruction, which will be jointly organized with the UN and the Palestinian government.

On bilateral cooperation, Minister Abdelatty acknowledged the significant role of the UNDP in supporting Egypt’s development efforts. He expressed hope that the UNDP would increase its contributions to support government initiatives, particularly in development projects that create job opportunities, attract foreign investment, and boost production. These efforts would align with Egypt’s priorities to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

Abdelatty also reaffirmed Egypt's commitment to supporting the UN’s sustainable development efforts in the Arab region, especially amidst the current political, security, economic, and social challenges. He emphasized that Egypt is a key partner in these efforts and is dedicated to enhancing cooperation and exchanging expertise for tangible, positive outcomes.

In response, Mr. Al-Dardari praised Egypt's efforts in preparing the early recovery and reconstruction plan for Gaza, which was adopted by the extraordinary Arab Summit and the ministerial meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. He assured that the UN is ready to provide all necessary technical and logistical support in the upcoming phase, contributing to the success of the reconstruction conference. Mr. Al-Dardari also offered the UNDP’s accumulated experience in early recovery and reconstruction to support Egypt in implementing the Arab plan.

Egyptian/Arab proposal seeks to replace a widely condemned initiative by US President Donald Trump, which aimed to "take over" Gaza and permanently displace its two million Palestinian residents to Egypt and Jordan.

The UN estimates that rebuilding Gaza and the occupied West Bank will require more than $53 billion over the next ten years, including $20 billion over the coming three years alone.

The main areas of the Plan:

The plan categorizes areas in Gaza into three primary groups: totally destroyed areas, partially destroyed areas, and those less affected. Additionally, cultural heritage sites and locations of significant events were selected for commemoration.

The plan begins with clearing debris and hazardous materials from the Gaza Strip and emphasizes the importance of utilizing the million tons of rubble generated by the destruction—one-third of which is located in Gaza City. This rubble contains unexploded missiles and bombs, posing a significant risk to the population.

This million tons of rubble—almost twice the size of New York City—is seen as a valuable resource for reconstruction efforts. It may also play a role in land reclamation projects along the coast.

The three phases of the Plan:

The plan outlines three main phases to be executed over five years, beginning with a six-month emergency recovery phase, followed by two additional phases that will concentrate on establishing permanent housing and developing infrastructure. All phases concentrate on the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip while the people are still living on their own lands inside the Strip.

The first phase of recovery (six months) emphasizes emergency recovery and the provision of temporary housing for 1.526 million individuals. There are plans for two types of temporary housing: tent camps and temporary mobile houses (Caravans 12 X 3.5 meters- living room, 2 bedrooms, bathroom and kitchen- for a family of 6 persons), with essential services offered at each location.

The primary focus of reconstruction will be along Salah al-Din Road, allowing for simultaneous development across all five governorates.

The second phase, which will conclude in 2030 , aims to build 200,000 permanent housing units and restore 60,000 existing units, along with the development of industrial zones and ports.

Major components of the plan include the construction of 460,000 designed to house three million people, the restoration of 20,000  acres of agricultura land within the next two years, and the development of industrial zones and ports.