By Xinhua,
Cairo : Gaza sustained economic losses to the tune of $1.9 billion, the UN Children’s Fund (Unicef) said Saturday.
Extensive destruction was caused to homes and public infrastructure across the salient, with many families losing their entire possessions. The total economic losses amounted to over $1.9 billion, the statement released in Jordan’s capital Amman, said.
The Israeli offensive on Gaza destroyed over 4,000 houses, while 17,000 buildings were partially damaged, the Unicef said, quoting figures from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS).
The PCBS said 23 mosques, 25 schools, hospitals and universities, 31 security headquarters, 16 ministry buildings and 1,500 factories, workshops and other commercial establishments were destroyed.
The UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that an estimated 90,000 people, including around 50,000 children, have been displaced in the conflict. Fifty UN buildings were also damaged.
Over 1,300 people have been killed in the Israeli military operation against the Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip launched on Dec 27. Both sides, however, declared a ceasefire Jan 18.