“We will live again”, launching a cleaning and rubble removal campaign in Gaza to “restore hope and dignity”

In a symbolic ceremony held in the city center and attended by the United Nations News correspondent in Gaza, the campaign was launched in an atmosphere full of hope to revive life in the city, under the slogan “We will rebuild it again.”

Many participants witnessed the launch of the campaign, including representatives of local authorities, the Palestinian Association for Civil Society Organizations, and the Chamber of Commerce, as well as a number of volunteers and residents who returned after repeated displacement from the southern Gaza Strip.

UN officials were also present, including the Director of the UNDP Office in Gaza, Alessandro Marakić.

Marakić told our correspondent, while standing among the attendees and volunteers: “We are here to start the clean-up work, and as you can see behind me, we are engaging the local communities, the people of Gaza City, those who stayed here during the war, and those who returned from the south to live in the city.”.

He added: “We restore dignity to people, to stay and continue to live in their city.”.

He pointed out that the United Nations Development Program has an important program, which is collecting solid waste daily, explaining that they are now preparing for the winter to ensure that water and wastewater are properly managed.

“A people capable of creating life”

At the launch of the campaign, many attendees spoke, led by Amjad Shawa, head of the Palestinian NGO Network, who said: “It is time for us to stand united with all our groups in order to end this suffering, to send a message to the world that on this earth there is something worthy of life, and that we are a people capable of creating life.”.

He pointed out that this message was sent today through coordination and joint work in that campaign.

He stated that the launch of the campaign coincides with the presence of the special group to deal with rubble in the sector. “This is a sign of hope for finding solutions to the 60 million tons of rubble in our homes, facilities, and infrastructure.”.

He said that this campaign begins by removing some rubble and sand, but it will continue “Until we return Gaza more beautiful than it was.”.

The campaign included deploying machinery and trucks to remove rubble and rubble from the streets, while dozens of workers and volunteers participated in removing waste and cleaning public places, as part of broader efforts to restore life to the city after many months of war.