Nearly 40,000 buildings or about 18% of all pre-conflict infrastructure were damaged or destroyed in the Gaza Strip after the war began on October 7, according to a United Nations assessment today.

The latest assessment, based on a Nov. 26 photo, was made by the United Nations Satellite Center, where analysts examine very high-resolution satellite photos to locate damaged buildings and publish maps that can guide relief and reconstruction plans during natural disasters and conflicts.

Estimates such as this based on high-resolution satellite imagery may underestimate the extent of the damage, as they do not capture all of the damage to buildings, for example, a building that has collapsed while its roof remains intact may appear intact.

“There is a 49% increase in the total number of damaged structures, highlighting the escalating impact of the war on civilian infrastructure,” UNOSAT said in a statement.

Based on the assessment, the worst affected areas are Gaza and northern Gaza, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, which together account for 29,732 buildings out of 37,379 damaged or destroyed, or about 80% of the total .

An assessment published on November 7 by the United Nations said that 25,050 buildings had been damaged or destroyed, or about 10% of all infrastructure in Gaza.