NEW YORK,(Palestine Foundation Information Center)The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) announced that 50 percent of the housing in Gaza Strip was destroyed in one month as a result of the Israeli aggression that has been launched against Gaza since October 7, claiming the lives of more than 11,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children.
This came in a press conference held by Abdallah Al Dardari, Assistant Secretary-General, and Director of the United Nations Development Program Regional Bureau for Arab States, and Rula Dashti, Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA).
They briefed the media on the findings of the report which was issued jointly by the two organizations and titled “Gaza War: Expected Socioeconomic Impacts on the State of Palestine: Preliminary estimation until 5 November 2023.”
Al-Dardari said 50% of the houses in Gaza was destroyed in one month and pointed out, by way of comparison, that Syria lost this percentage of housing in its fourth year of war.
For her part, Dashti said, “the destruction in Gaza has reached an unprecedented level.” She also pointed out that 96% of Gazans who cannot access basic services are suffering from multidimensional poverty. Dashti stressed the need for the international community to come together to establish lasting peace.
The UN report indicated that Palestinian economic activity was exposed to a severe shock as a result of the complete siege on Gaza, the destruction of capital, forced displacement, and restrictions imposed on the movement of people and goods in the West Bank.
According to the report, around 390,000 job opportunities have been lost since the start of the war, while the poverty rate is expected to rise sharply, ranging between 20% and 45%.
GDP losses could range between 4% and 12% in 2023 and between 4% and 9% in 2024 compared to pre-war estimates depending on how long the Israeli aggression will last.
The Human Development Index (HDI) is expected to record a sharp decline, which would set the State of Palestine back between 11 and 16 years.
The report affirmed that the “Economic recovery in Gaza following a cease-fire will not be immediate, due to the large-scale destruction and uncertain access to resources, including materials and equipment, owing to the siege on Gaza.”
