Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip will have knocked human development in the enclave back by nearly 70 years by the end of 2024, according to a new report by the United Nations Development Programme, or UNDP.
The report looked at the impact of over a year of war on critical sectors in Gaza, including education, the economy, healthcare, social services, and the environment. It also looked at the overall impact of hostilities over the past year on the State of Palestine, which includes the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
While less acute than Gaza, Israeli-imposed movement restrictions, increased military raids, and Israeli settler violence have also contributed to worsening conditions in the West Bank, where human development has been set back by 16 years, according to the report.
Poverty in the State of Palestine is expected to rise to 74.3% this year, with 2.61 million people newly impoverished and 4.1 million affected overall. Unemployment is also expected to reach nearly 50%.
The report calls for a comprehensive recovery and reconstruction plan combining immediate humanitarian assistance and development investment. But the scenarios it lays out explore recovery prospects after a permanent ceasefire has been reached – a prerequisite for recovery that has remained elusive.
Instead, Israel has escalated its military campaign throughout Gaza in recent weeks and increased restrictions on humanitarian aid entering the enclave, further choking off the already insufficient flow of assistance.
A tight siege and intense military operation in northern Gaza since 6 October has raised concerns that Israel may be “causing the destruction of the Palestinian population in Gaza’s northernmost governorate”, according to a recent statement by the UN’s human rights office.
Meanwhile, a new food insecurity assessment found that the risk of famine persists throughout Gaza, where nearly the entire population of around 2.1 million people has been forcibly displaced multiple times.
“September saw the lowest volume of commercial and humanitarian supplies entering Gaza since March 2024. This sharp decline will profoundly limit food availability and the ability of families to feed themselves and access services in the next few months,” the assessment said.
