Search
  1. Home
  2. Middle East and North Africa
  3. Palestine

Israel’s war setting Gaza development back to the ‘50s: report

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. 

For more, read:

Naeema Al-Ashour and another woman crouch/sit on the ground as they cook.

Famine or not? Palestinians in Gaza say an official declaration is besides the point

The man-made hunger crisis – amidst the other effects of war – has turned life into a daily struggle for survival.

Share this article

Our ability to deliver compelling, field-based reporting on humanitarian crises rests on a few key principles: deep expertise, an unwavering commitment to amplifying affected voices, and a belief in the power of independent journalism to drive real change.

We need your help to sustain and expand our work. Your donation will support our unique approach to journalism, helping fund everything from field-based investigations to the innovative storytelling that ensures marginalised voices are heard.

Please consider joining our membership programme. Together, we can continue to make a meaningful impact on how the world responds to crises.

Become a member of The New Humanitarian

Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

Join