Amjad Al-Shawa, director of the Palestinian NGO Network, said the initiative represents “a shared message to the world that the people of Gaza are capable of bringing life back to their city.”
He added that specialized engineering teams working on debris management have begun to look for solutions to deal with more than 60 million tons of debris resulting from the destruction of homes and infrastructure, noting that “Today’s volunteer campaign is just the beginning of a long process until Gaza becomes more beautiful than it was.”
Volunteers, NGOs and the UN participate in the “We will rebuild Gaza” campaign.
Officials from the UN agency also joined the cleanup efforts, reaffirming their support for local initiatives.
Alessandro Marakic, an official with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), said: “We are here with local authorities, civil society organizations and the Chamber of Commerce to start the cleaning operations. What we are witnessing today is that people return to their city and regain some of their dignity by restoring order to the streets.”
He added that the program carries out daily solid waste collection and is currently preparing plans for the winter season to ensure adequate management of water and wastewater.
The campaign included the deployment of machinery and trucks to clear debris from the streets, while dozens of workers and volunteers participated in removing debris and cleaning public areas, as part of broader efforts to restore life to the city after many months of war.