Israel’s war on Gaza has set development back by 69 years, UN says
Palestinians inspect the damage after an Israeli air strike the previous night in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza on 20 October 2024
Al Jazeera reports on 22 October 2024:
Israel’s war on Gaza has set back development indicators such as health and education by nearly 70 years, a new United Nations report has found, with millions more Palestinians falling below the poverty line.
In a report published on Tuesday, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) said the overall Palestinian economy is now 35 percent smaller compared with a year ago at the start of Israel’s offensive in Gaza, with unemployment “potentially rising” to an estimated 49.9 percent.
The UNDP research showed the Human Development Index (HDI) for Gaza, a measure of “average achievement in key dimensions of human development”, is projected to drop to a level estimated for 1955, “erasing over 69 years of progress”.
In the occupied West Bank, the HDI was expected to drop to a level “reflecting a loss of 16 years”, the report said, warning it was “likely to further worsen” if Israeli military assaults expand.
The poverty rate across the enclave will almost double this year to 74.3 percent, it said. In all, 4.1 million people are now considered impoverished across the Palestinian territory, including the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank, with 2.61 million added in the last year alone, according to the report.
“The state of Palestine is experiencing unprecedented levels of setbacks,” said Chitose Noguchi, a UNDP representative, from Deir el-Balah in central Gaza.
