From Rubble to Resilience: Gaza Engineers Rebuild With What the War Left Behind

Engineers in Gaza City are utilizing salvaged materials to construct a new facility for the World Food Programme, addressing a severe shortage of construction supplies caused by the ongoing war. The project, managed by Al-Rimal Al-Tayba Co., involves repurposing steel, stone, and other materials recovered from damaged structures to build a facility intended to support humanitarian operations.

Awni Ahmed Sharaf, the project’s supervising engineer, stated that the original construction plan was modified due to the unavailability of basic materials such as cement, drywall, and metal sheets. Instead, the team utilized a steel frame as the primary structural component. To finish the exterior, engineers recovered Jerusalem stone from destroyed buildings, installing it onto the steel frame using a specialized mechanical support system.

For the interior, the team repurposed surplus aluminium materials found in storage. These were shaped into profiles to serve as a fastening system for large panels, allowing for the completion of interior partitions without the need for traditional drywall, which is currently scarce in the territory.

Yousef Abu Mueiliq, executive director of Al-Rimal Al-Tayba Co., noted that the facility includes warehouse space, truck parking, maintenance areas, and an administrative building. He explained that the process of fitting salvaged, irregularly shaped stones onto the facade required significant labor from local craftsmen and engineers.

According to project leaders, the facility serves as a practical example of how local expertise can adapt to extreme supply chain disruptions. Abu Mueiliq stated that the project demonstrates the potential for local reconstruction efforts, provided that necessary resources and access to supply chains are eventually restored.

The project was supported by funding from CFI, Expertise France, and the European Union. The content of the report remains the responsibility of the project beneficiaries.

Article and image source: english.pnn.ps