UNDP Report: 69 Years of Development Lost Due to Gaza Conflict

A UN Development Programme report reveals that the Gaza conflict has reversed 69 years of progress. To foster development, the report advocates lifting economic restrictions and promoting recovery with strategic investments. Without these, reliance on humanitarian aid alone may be insufficient for the Palestinian economy to regain pre-war status.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has released an alarming report outlining the severe setbacks in Gaza's development due to ongoing conflicts, effectively erasing nearly 69 years of progress.

The report emphasized that the current reliance on humanitarian aid is insufficient for economic recovery. It highlighted the pressing necessity for a comprehensive plan integrating strategic investments, lifting economic restrictions, and enabling conditions for growth. The goal is to realign the Palestinian economy with its development objectives by 2034.

UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner underscored the grim projection that even with consistent humanitarian support, the economy might not bounce back to its pre-crisis state for at least a decade. One favorable scenario would see the removal of restrictions on Palestinian workers and the restoration of withheld revenues to the Palestinian Authority, accompanied by substantial allocation to recovery efforts. Without these measures, the Human Development Index for Gaza is expected to regress drastically, with the West Bank also facing significant declines if conditions worsen.

(With inputs from agencies.)