A Palestinian boy is seen carrying freshly baked loaves of bread back to his family at a temporary camp for internally displaced individuals in Deir Al Balah, located in the central Gaza Strip, on October 17, 2024. — AFP
According to a report released by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) on Tuesday, the poverty rate across the Palestinian territories is expected to nearly double this year, reaching 74.3 per cent, following months of conflict in Gaza. "The immediate impact of the war, not only in terms of physical infrastructure damage but also in terms of poverty, livelihoods, and loss of livelihoods, is immense," stated Achim Steiner, the head of the UNDP. The poverty rate was 38.8 per cent at the end of 2023, but an additional 2.61 million Palestinians have fallen into poverty this year, bringing the total to 4.1 million.
"It is evident from this socio-economic evaluation that the extent of destruction has set back the state of Palestine by years, if not decades, in terms of its developmental trajectory," Steiner added. The study predicts that unemployment in the Palestinian territories could increase to 49.9 per cent this year, and GDP will be 35.1 per cent lower than it would have been without the war in Gaza. Steiner noted that even with annual humanitarian aid, the Palestinian economy is unlikely to recover to its pre-crisis levels for at least a decade.
Rebuilding efforts will also necessitate support to reconstruct damaged capital and the easing of "oppressive economic conditions." The study highlights that Israel's bombing campaign generated 42 million tonnes of rubble in Gaza, posing significant health risks. The destruction of solar panels is particularly concerning due to the release of lead and other heavy metals. The conflict in Gaza was initiated by Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7 last year, which resulted in the deaths of 1,206 people, predominantly civilians, according to an AFP compilation of official Israeli data. Israel's aerial and ground assaults in Gaza have led to the deaths of 42,603 individuals, the majority of whom were civilians, according to figures from the health ministry in the Hamas-controlled territory, which the UN deems reliable.
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