Washington, United States. U.S. President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” said the gap between funding pledges and disbursements for Gaza reconstruction must be closed urgently, warning it could hinder a plan estimated to cost $70 billion.
Board of Peace and Gaza reconstruction plan
Trump set up the Board of Peace to oversee his plan to end Israel’s war in Gaza and rebuild the territory. The U.N. Security Council has recognised the board, though many major powers have not joined Washington’s main Middle Eastern allies and some middling and smaller states in signing up.
Report to the U.N. Security Council
In a May 15 report to the United Nations Security Council viewed by Reuters on Tuesday, the board said that “the gap between commitment (to the Board of Peace) and disbursement must be closed with urgency.”
It added that funds committed but not yet disbursed represent “the difference between a framework that exists on paper and one that delivers on the ground for the people of Gaza.”
The board also called on countries and organisations that are not part of the Board of Peace to contribute to Gaza’s reconstruction without delay.
Pledges, disbursements, and responses
The report did not say how much money had been received or how large the gap was, though it said the amount pledged remained $17 billion. The Board of Peace did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Reuters reported in April that the board had only received a small fraction of the $17 billion pledged by members for Gaza, preventing Trump from moving ahead with his plan. The board denied that report in a statement, saying it was an “execution-focused organisation that calls capital as needed” and that there “are no funding constraints.”
In a statement to Reuters, a Board of Peace official said the board had been consistent in urging U.N. member states and international organisations to fulfil pledges and contribute funding for Gaza’s reconstruction, but did not address the gap between funding pledges and disbursement.
What steps do you think governments and international organisations should take to ensure pledged Gaza reconstruction funds are disbursed quickly?
