Local Aid Co-ordination Committee Co-Chairs
United Nations Nations Unies
OFFICE OF THE UNITED NATIONS SPECIAL CO-ORDINATOR
The World Bank - West Bank & Gaza Office
GOVERNMENT OF NORWAY - Representative Office in West Bank and Gaza
Contact: Timothy Rothermel, UNDP / +972(2) 6268200 / timothy.rothermel@undp.org
Contact: Ma'moon Sbeih / +972 (2) 236-6511 / msbeih@worldbank.org
Contact: Jens Mjaugeda / +972(2)2345050 / jem@norad.no
DAMAGE TO CIVILIAN INFRASTRUCTURE AND INSTITUTIONS
IN THE WEST BANK ESTIMATED AT US$361 MILLION
Jerusalem, 15 May 2002An assessment conducted by international donors estimated physical damage in the West Bank resulting from Israel's recent military incursions during March/April 2002 at US$361 million.
The military incursions were launched in March 2002 following a series of suicide bombings inside Israel. It should be emphasized that the figure of US$361 million does not include income losses and social and humanitarian costs.
Areas the Nablus region was hardest-hit, with repair costs estimated at US$114 million, followed by the Jenin region (US$83 million) and Ramallah (US$51 million).
Sectors the private sector suffered the most, with repairs estimated at a total of US$97 million, of which US$50 million consisted of damage to buildings and equipment and spoilage/loss of inventory. Significant damage also occurred to roads (US$64 million), private housing (US$66 million) and ancient cultural sites (US$48 million), as well as to electricity and water networks, schools and clinics.
In Jenin refugee camp, where 800 families are now homeless, damage to housing amounts to US$27 million.
Extensive damage was inflicted on sites of important cultural heritage in Nablus. This includes the destruction of the Jame' Al Khadra mosque, an ancient public bath, historic houses and soap factories. The total cost of restoring the old city of Nablus is estimated at US$42.5 million.
Palestinian Authority ministries in Ramallah were also seriously damaged. The offices of PA ministries and agencies were entered and ransacked to varying degrees, with destruction focused particularly on office equipment, computers and data storage facilities. The estimated replacement and repair costs to PA office interiors in Ramallah is US$9.5 million.
"This dollar amount does not account for the cost of disruption associated with losing valuable civilian records such as personnel data from the Ministry of Interior and tax record from the Ministry of Finance" said Timothy Rothermel, Special Representative of UNDP. "Some of this data is irreplaceable."
1 The Local Aid Coordination Committee includes all representatives of the donor community present in West Bank and Gaza.
