Aid Agencies Gear Up for Massive Gaza Rehabilitation

GENEVA - International aid agencies are assessing the damage caused in the Gaza Strip during recent fighting between Israel and Gaza militants to get an estimate of the likely cost of rehabilitating the Palestinian territory.

Aid agencies are expressing enormous relief at the cease-fire that has ended 11 days of clashes that they say caused unbearable and unacceptable costs for all civilian populations, including in Israel.  The World Health Organization says about 275 people have died, with more than 8,000 injured. It says 17 primary health care centers have been damaged, and essential drugs and medical supplies are in short supply.  Though the fighting has stopped, the director of the U.N. relief and works agency (UNRWA), Matthias Schmale, said people in Gaza are in danger of unexploded devices. Speaking on a video link from Gaza City, he said UNRWA is moving from emergency response to early recovery, which will involve more than just fixing what has been broken.