The United Nations Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza, Sigrid Kaag, said rebuilding the Gaza Strip is “a very tall order”, but the international community has “the duty and responsibility” to work towards early recovery.

In an interview with UN News’s Ezzat El-Ferri, Ms. Kaag noted that while the Palestinians in Gaza have been very resilient, they need significant support to rebuild their lives. Noting her awareness that the situation in Gaza is intrinsically tied to progress on the political front and the two-state solution, “we cannot ask civilians to wait (...). People have suffered a lot”, she said.

In her forth visit to the Gaza Strip just a few days ago, the UN diplomat said she was “humbled and moved by all the different stories of suffering”. Still, she said she was inspired by the commitment of Palestinian non-governmental organization (NGOs) working on the ground. Ms. Kaag insisted that, alongside the Palestinian Authority, Palestinian civil society needs to be “very much be on the forefront” and stressed the need to cultivate and nurture their “immense courage and determination”.