UNDP estimates 69-year setback in Gaza's development
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A joint report of the UNDP and ESCWA has found that 2.61 million Palestinians have been impoverished as a result of the Israeli war.
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A child walks through the destruction left by the Israeli air and ground onslaught on Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Palestine, on September 12, 2024. (AP)
The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UNESCWA) compiled a report on the setback of development in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023.
The international organizations said that development has been set back by 69 years in the Gaza Strip.
The year-long war on the Gaza Strip is causing acute hunger, with around 86% of Gaza's population experiencing crisis levels of hunger.
Earlier, the UNDP said the Gaza Strip's reconstruction could take 80 years.
A UN official has stated that the devastation resulting from the war on Gaza has been unprecedented since World War II, with reconstruction costs estimated to reach as much as $40 billion.
According to the UNDP, Gaza's GDP is projected to shrink by 35.1% in 2024, and unemployment could climb to nearly 50%.
Read more: 80 years and $40bln needed for Gaza reconstruction: UNDP
Soaring poverty in Palestine
The report also noted that poverty in Palestine is anticipated to increase by 74.3% in 2024, affecting an additional 2.61 million individuals who are newly impoverished due to the ongoing war.
Moreover, displaced residents of Gaza are moving between refugee camps, where they are crowded into inadequate shelters and makeshift accommodations. The new report suggests that the Palestinian economy could stabilize if a comprehensive recovery and reconstruction plan is implemented, combining humanitarian aid with strategic investments.
However, it stressed that lifting the decades-long Israeli blockade is essential for Gaza's recovery.
Since 2007, "Israel" has imposed a strict and comprehensive blockade on the Gaza Strip, restricting access by land, sea, and air.
Rola Dashti, the Executive Secretary of ESCWA, highlighted that even with annual humanitarian aid, the economy may take a decade or longer to return to its pre-war level. She emphasized the need for a strong early recovery strategy as conditions allow.
Dashti also pointed out the urgent situation, warning that millions of lives are being devastated and years of development efforts are being erased.
Read more: Civil Defense official recounts to Al Mayadeen grim Gaza accounts
