National Early Recovery and Reconstruction Plan for Gaza 2014-2017_FINAL...

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Beyond the right of Palestinians to have the free movement laid out in international law and agreements, unrestricted access
and movement is essential to the swift, efficient, and effective implementation of this Plan. The importance of this prerequisite
is underlined by the year-long delay of key interventions of the 2009 Recovery and Reconstruction Plan by an Israeli regime of
entry restrictions, clearance requirements for construction materials and equipment, and approval processes. A continuation of
the current restrictions would significantly impede the progress – and impact – of the interventions described in this Plan. The
UN estimates that, if current restrictions on the entry of materials persist, it will take over 18 years to reconstruct the destroyed
housing units alone. This would be catastrophic for Gaza.
As a result, this Plan calls for the swift entry of all required construction materials and commodities. The Government welcomes
the new UN proposal for facilitating imports for private and government projects as a positive step. But the easing of the
restrictions is insufficient. The permitting, review, and control regime must be completely removed as an obstacle to both the
reconstruction efforts required to ensure basic service provision as well as the ability of the Gaza economy to generate income,
jobs, and opportunities for the population.
2.4.2 Sufficient and Rapidly Disbursed Funding
At $4 billion, the total cost required for the recovery and reconstruction is three times the estimated cost after the 2008 assault
and equivalent to a third of the total GDP for the West Bank and Gaza combined.
The Government faces a challenging fiscal position, resulting first and foremost from the ongoing Israeli occupation and
restrictions on movement and access and the Palestinian economy in general. The unprecedented level of damage of the latest
assault requires an unprecedented level of financial support. Although the Government will strive to contribute its own financial
resources, its constrained fiscal position means that it has no option but to look to local, regional, and international partners
to provide the necessary financial support for recovery and rehabilitation to be completed. It will be essential that this can be
disbursed quickly and efficiently and in line with the Government’s priorities, such that support, services, and infrastructure can
be delivered as quickly as possible to the people and businesses of Gaza.
In line with the principle of Government ownership of the strategy and its implementation, and global commitments on aid and
development effectiveness, this Plan calls on donors to maximize utilization of national systems. Such an approach will enable
a more coherent, programmatic, and long-term approach to development, and lead to much greater Palestinian ownership of
the process.
2.4.3 Government Leadership and Effective Co-ordination
This Plan targets all sectors, geographic areas, and institutions affected by the assault. The enormous scale of the damage, the
breadth and scope of activities required, and the number of stakeholders involved means that effective management and coordination
of the Plan’s implementation and financing will be critical to reaching targeted goals.
In line with the guiding principles outlined above, the responsibility for overall implementation, coordination, and oversight
of the early recovery and reconstruction process will rest with the Government. However, the implementation of the Plan
will involve all key ministries and Government bodies, working across all levels of Government and in close cooperation with
numerous partners, including national development agencies, local and international NGOs, and the private sector.
The Government will lead the coordination of all stakeholder efforts in order to avoid duplication of efforts, identify gaps, and
optimize the use of resources available, as detailed in Section 5.