The Zionist war on Gaza has devastated key development indicators such as health and education, setting them back nearly 70 years, according to a new United Nations report. Millions of Palestinians have been pushed below the poverty line as a result of the ongoing conflict. The UN Development Programme (UNDP) revealed that the overall Palestinian economy is now 35 percent smaller than it was a year ago, with unemployment potentially reaching a staggering 49.9 percent.
The report projects Gaza’s Human Development Index (HDI) to plummet to levels seen in 1955, effectively erasing 69 years of progress. In the occupied West Bank, the HDI is expected to regress by 16 years, with further declines anticipated if the Zionist military assaults expand. The poverty rate in Gaza is expected to almost double to 74.3 percent, with 4.1 million Palestinians now living in poverty, including 2.61 million who fell below the poverty line within the past year.
The destruction caused by the Zionist bombing campaign has generated 42 million tonnes of rubble, posing severe health risks due to the release of lead and other heavy metals from damaged solar panels. UNDP head Achim Steiner warned that the socio-economic damage will take decades to repair, with the Palestinian economy unlikely to recover to pre-crisis levels for at least ten years. The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has also made urgent pleas for humanitarian aid, as Gaza’s civilians face extreme shortages of food, water, and medicine amid the relentless assault.
