BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 21. Resolving the housing
deficit within Palestine, particularly across the Gaza Strip,
extends far beyond physical residential reconstruction to serve as
a baseline vehicle for restoring human dignity, stability, and
societal well-being, said Sami Hijjawi, Minister of Local
Government of the Palestinian Authority, Trend reports.


The government official made the remarks during a session titled
"Housing at the Centre of Crisis Recovery and Reconstruction" held
within the framework of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum
(WUF13) in Baku.


According to the minister, large-scale destruction across the
Gaza Strip has left approximately 372,000 housing units damaged.
Within this aggregate figure, roughly 60,000 units sustained
partial damage and remain structurally viable for rehabilitation,
while the vast majority have undergone total collapse or severe
structural destruction.


He emphasized that the conflict has displaced approximately 2
million people—representing the overwhelming majority of Gaza's
total population. Concurrently, across the West Bank, particularly
within the Jenin and Tulkarm encampments, more than 10,000
residential units have sustained damage, forcing tens of thousands
of citizens to flee their homes.


Hijjawi reported that the destruction has targeted more than
just the residential housing stock, inflicting severe damage upon
core water distribution networks, sewage systems, educational
facilities, and healthcare infrastructure lines.


"True structural recovery cannot achieve viability solely by
addressing immediate emergency humanitarian needs; it remains
fundamentally dependent upon the parallel provision of safe,
secure, and dignified long-term housing," he stressed.


According to the minister, the ultimate success of the
rehabilitation trajectory hinges upon the mobilization of unified
international political will, sustainable long-term financing
pipelines, unhindered access to raw construction materials,
streamlined international coordination, and the active integration
of local communities directly into the decision-making cycle.


He noted that the proposed Palestinian recovery strategy
operates on a structured five-year framework plan. The initial
phase prioritizes the deployment of rapid transitional shelter
solutions alongside the targeted repair of partially damaged
properties. Building upon this baseline, the subsequent strategic
phase targets the construction of at least 200,000 entirely new
housing units.


Hijjawi added that the comprehensive reconstruction blueprint
looking ahead must transcend simple residential real estate blocks,
incorporating the parallel rebuilding of schools, medical centers,
water utilities, and electrical grids to cultivate resilient,
self-sustaining municipal ecosystems.


"For our governance structures, post-conflict reconstruction
operates far beyond a standard technical engineering workflow. It
represents an overarching humanitarian and moral responsibility
geared toward restoring civic hope and forging a path toward an
equitable, lasting peace," the minister concluded.







Today marks the fifth day of WUF13 in Baku.


The first day included a ministerial meeting dedicated to the
New Urban Agenda, a ministerial roundtable, assemblies for women
and civil society, business sessions, and discussions on urban
prosperity. An official ceremony marking the raising of the UN and
Azerbaijani flags also took place.


The second day stood out for the inaugural Leaders' Summit,
featuring high-level discussions on the global housing crisis,
urbanization policy, and urban resilience. Concurrently, the
opening of the Mexico City pavilion took place, serving as a
significant platform for expanding cooperation with the Latin
American region and preparing for WUF14.


The third day of WUF13 featured a comprehensive program of
events covering the global housing crisis, the formation of safe
and inclusive cities, climate resilience, artificial intelligence
and urban governance, green urbanization, social equity, and
sustainable transport.


One of the highlights of the third day was the signing of a
sister-city memorandum between the Azerbaijani city of Shusha and
the Turkish city of Trabzon.


The fourth day of WUF13 featured a broad program of events
dedicated to urbanization, climate change, inclusive urban
development, housing policy, and sustainable governance.


One of the important events of the UN Special Programme for the
Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) Cities Forum, held on the fourth
day, was the announcement of Almaty’s official accession to the
“Declaration of Intent on the Establishment of the SPECA Smart
Climate-Resilient Cities Forum.”


Also, for the first time in WUF history and at Azerbaijan’s
initiative, the “WUF13 NGO Forum: Global Partnership and
Decision-Making” was held.


WUF13, which has attracted more than 40,000 registered
participants from 182 countries, will continue until May 22. Held
under the theme “Housing the world: Safe and resilient cities and
communities,” the forum brings together governments, international
organizations, experts, and representatives of civil society to
strengthen global cooperation in the field of sustainable urban
development.