Gaza is ‘on verge of collapse’ – UNDP study

AMMAN — Initial results of a study prepared by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), launched on Wednesday, revealed that the humanitarian system in Gaza is "on the verge of collapse," jeopardising the lives of over 2.2 million people.

The assessment study, entitled "Expected Socio-Economic Impacts of the Gaza Crisis on Neighbouring Countries in the Arab States Region," considered several potential regional spill-over effects based on learnings from previous conflicts in the region, including the 2003 Iraq invasion, the 2008-2009 Gaza war and the Syrian crisis, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

The study referred to the socioeconomic ramifications of the war on Gaza and its impacts on the human development in the region, mainly on Jordan, Egypt and Lebanon, if the war continued for over three months. The war would also affect oil prices, refugee influxes, public debts, tourism and trade, among other domains.

Director of the Regional Bureau for Arab States at UNDP Abdallah Dardari stressed the importance of an immediate ceasefire for humanitarian reasons, particularly to avoid the expansion of the war repercussions into the region.

Dardari said that regional countries are still facing big economic challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic and global economic crises, including those brought about by the war in Ukraine, noting that the repercussions of the Gaza war on trade, tourism and livelihoods will exacerbate the pre-existing weak points, reported Petra.

Dardari expected the war on Gaza to place additional pressure on the countries hosting Syrian refugees and the basic services being offered to them.