The poverty rate across the Palestinian territories is expected to nearly double this year to 74.3 per cent following extended periods of conflict in Gaza, as reported by the UN Development Programme on Tuesday.
“The immediate consequence of the war, not just in physical infrastructure destruction, but also in terms of poverty, livelihoods and loss of livelihoods, is enormous,” Achim Steiner, head of the UNDP, told AFP.
The poverty rate had been 38.8 percent at the end of 2023 but another 2.61 million Palestinians fell into poverty this year, bringing the total to 4.1 million.
“It’s quite clear from this socio-economic assessment, that the level of destruction has set back the state of Palestine by years, if not decades, in terms of its development pathway,” Steiner said.
The study projects that unemployment in the Palestinian territories may increase to 49.9 percent this year, with the GDP expected to drop by 35.1 percent due to the conflict in Gaza. The report highlights that despite annual humanitarian aid, it may take a decade or longer for the Palestinian economy to recover to its pre-crisis state.
Recovery will also require support to rebuild destroyed capital and the lifting of “stifling economic conditions”.
The study says Israel’s bombing campaign created 42 million tonnes of rubble in Gaza, creating major health risks. The destruction of solar panels is particularly dangerous given the lead and other heavy metals they release.
The war in Gaza was sparked by Hamas’s unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7 last year which resulted in the deaths of 1,206 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures.
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Israel’s bombing and ground offensives in Gaza have killed 42,603 people, a majority of civilians, according to data from the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory, figures the UN considers reliable.
AFP
