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In Gaza, UUSC's Partners Make the Case for Human Dignity
UUSC’s partners share the uses of a detailed report on home repairs from a humanitarian perspective with a group in international organizations in Gaza.
Adham Khalil, a young social worker in Gaza, shares his experiences helping families make small-scale repairs to their homes.
Thousands of homes and buildings were damaged and destroyed in Israel's 2008-9 attack on Gaza, Operation Cast Lead. The majority remain in ruins due to a severe Israeli-imposed blockade that keeps out most of the materials needed for large-scale construction.
In response, UUSC began working with youth in Gaza to reconstruct their communities and homes. This small-scale repair project grew into a detailed evaluation of the most common and critical damage to residential homes, followed by suggestions for viable, safe, and dignified repair options using locally available tools and resources.
On Monday, January 24, we presented our evaluation — Gaza Repair Strategies — to a gathering of international organizations working on shelter solutions. This group, the U.N. Shelter Cluster, heard about our focus on dignity, rather than simply on the costs of damages and repairs, and discussed how to prioritize repairs from a humanitarian perspective.
We continue to share our information and experiences with organizations that have the resources to support this work on the ground. We are also exploring partnerships that will continue to positively engage young people in the recovery of their communities.
