As prepared for delivery

Excellencies, Ladies, and Gentlemen,

First, I would like to express UNDP’s appreciation to the governments of Jordan and Egypt for convening us for this important Call to Action on the humanitarian response for Gaza. I am pleased to say a few words at this working group on early recovery to reflect the discussions on this issue in the UN country team in the occupied Palestinian territory.

As the Gaza War enters its ninth month, the situation remains dire. 

The war, which has now killed thousands of people, is one of the deadliest conflicts of our time.

The toll on civilians in Gaza is staggering.

The recent, joint socio-economic impact assessment by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) shows that the State of Palestine will have lost 20 years in terms of human development by the nine-month mark of the war. Poverty and unemployment have surged.

Humanitarian aid to the Palestinians in Gaza is the imperative.  However, we must also prepare for the day when early recovery can be possible, and human development can begin to be restored.  

The UN’s minimum conditions to implement early recovery interventions at the scale required are clear:  a ceasefire; an agreed political and security framework; access of goods, material, equipment that is at-scale and predictable; and funding that is consistent, multi-year and flexible. 

While our immediate focus must remain on lifesaving and humanitarian assistance, we must also plan ahead to be ready to support early recovery interventions for the Palestinians in Gaza, as soon as the war ends.  

Early recovery can provide a crucial pathway to dignity, hope, greater self-sufficiency, restoring basic services, repairing the social fabric, and supporting the safe return of Palestinians to their communities and homes, when possible.

In this regard, the UN in the occupied Palestinian territory, with UNDP as a co-lead together with the Resident Coordinator’s Office and the World Food Programme, has been working to develop a coherent, responsive, and agile early recovery plan -- which benefits from the input of more than 20 UN agencies, and through engagement with the Palestinian Authority and international partners.  I am also happy to note that Sarah Poole, UNDP’s Special Representative for the Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People, is with us today.

The plan is underpinned by several key principles: 

• A Palestinian-owned process, through alignment with national planning, and a people centered approach – ensuring that communities and civil society are engaged, and have their say
• An all-of-Palestine approach, to address the connectivity and the socio-economic impact across Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem; 
• A human rights-based and humanitarian-development-peace nexus approach; and one that is gender responsive
• Inclusive, ensuring no one is left behind, especially the most marginalized groups such as vulnerable women, youth, persons with disabilities, and elderly.
• An area-based approach combined with an integrated approach that would enable people to return to their neighborhoods and homes with dignity and the services needed – shelters, jobs, education, health, and more.
• Environmentally sustainable approaches that integrate the water-energy-food nexus 

With these principles in mind, the UN has identified and committed to a number of early recovery priorities, with technical and programmatic preparation already underway where possible.  These include:

• Rubble and debris removal, including the removal of unexploded ordinances 
• Emergency job creation, and support to the restoration of the private sector – including micro, small and medium enterprises
• Restoration of critical services and infrastructure repair, related to health and education; water and sanitation; electricity; and telecommunications
• Provision of dignified, transitional shelter
• Protection of rights
• Psycho-social and mental health support
• Addressing massive environmental contamination
• Restoring and rehabilitating food systems

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

In conclusion, I would like to reiterate my sincere gratitude to the Governments of Egypt and Jordan for convening us to focus on scaling up the humanitarian response and preparing for early recovery.   The UN agencies on the ground are fully committed to supporting both immediate support needs in Gaza, and the path towards early recovery, as soon as possible, including UNDP/PAPP, in line with its mandate given by the UN General Assembly in 1978 -- to improve the social and economic conditions of the Palestinian people.

Through our collective efforts -- and with the minimum conditions in place, of a political agreement, security, access, and funding -- we can support the Palestinians in Gaza to recover from this war with dignity and hope.