SAFE response to the collapse of the Al-Saada Building

Following the collapse of the Al-Saada residential building on Al-Sinaa Street in western Gaza City, SAFE took part in the field response under the “Debris Management in the Gaza Strip” programme, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme/Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People (UNDP/PAPP). SAFE provided machinery and workers, helped remove debris and supported search and rescue teams in reaching the site.

The six-storey building collapsed on Wednesday, 16 September 2026, after bombardment during the war had weakened its structure. It was sheltering about 100 displaced people, including some 50 children, according to the United Nations. The final toll announced by the Civil Defence was 21 people killed, among them children and women, and 45 injured. Search and rescue operations ended after about 15 hours of continuous work.

SAFE mobilised its crews and machinery to the site to take part in the search for the missing, and work to remove the building entirely is still under way.

The collapse comes amid warnings from the Ministry of Public Works and Housing that about 3,000 buildings in the Gaza Strip are classified as dangerous or at risk of collapse. Under the Structural Assessment and Demolition Planning for Damaged Buildings in the Gaza Strip project, which SAFE implements in partnership with UNDP, SAFE assesses damaged buildings and prepares plans for their safe removal or shoring, reducing the risk they pose to residents.

SAFE expresses its solidarity with the families of the victims and wishes the injured a swift recovery.