Live
Audio Only
The Israeli offensive is threatening to push the entire population of the Gaza Strip into poverty.
On Wednesday, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) said that the prolonged conflicts in Gaza and Sudan are weighing on Arab economies and slowing down their growth.
RELATED:
There is Legal Basis to Denounce Israel for Genocide: Ireland
"With the stabilization of oil and gas prices at moderate levels in 2023, the region's gross domestic product (GDP) was expected to grow around 3.6 percent in 2024 and 4.2 percent in 2025; however, current predictions bring the figure down to 3.3 percent for 2024," it stated.
ESCWA released the findings in the 2022-2023 issue of its annual Survey of Economic and Social Developments in the Arab Region, which provides an overview of the principal economic and social development indicators along with prospects for the following two years.
Poverty rates in low-income and conflict-affected Arab countries have jumped to about 63 percent and 50 percent in 2023 respectively from 56 percent and 45 percent in 2019.
A Palestinian child suffering from cancer is injured by US-UK-EU-armed Israeli airstrikes.
— Afshin Rattansi (@afshinrattansi) February 8, 2024
2.3 million people in Gaza, most of whom live in poverty, half of which are children are being targeted by Israel with the most expensive Western-made weapons, while the US, UK and EU… pic.twitter.com/3BkLWRP3PE
ESCWA noted that the Israeli offensive on Gaza is threatening to push the entire population of the Strip -- about 2.3 million Palestinians -- into multidimensional poverty.
Meanwhile, the outlook in least-developed Arab countries (LDCs) remains highly uncertain and gloomy, affected by the escalating conflict in Sudan.
According to the statement, the subregion's GDP could decrease by 3.8 percent on average during 2023-2025, with Arab LDCs continuing to face constrained fiscal space and challenging socioeconomic conditions.
The survey emphasized the need to adopt strategies to address "the unique and common challenges faced by each country, encompassing immediate humanitarian needs, economic resilience, and social integration."
Newsletter
