Poverty in Gaza was already characterized as severe before the war due to the ongoing Israel blockade, with 61% of the population considered below the poverty line according to the World Bank. After only one month of fighting the percentage has increased by about 20% with the number expected to increase to by about 34% in the second month of the war.    The war has caused devastating damage to Gaza's infrastructure and economy. The war has resulted in upheaval and destruction on a scale never before seen in the enclave. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that over 41,000 homes were destroyed and over 222,000 were damaged. The war also badly affected hospitals, schools, water and sanitation systems, and food security.  The UNDP has reported a predicted 11 to 16 year setback in the human development index across Gaza and the West Bank, with the amounts expected to grow during the war.   By the end of December 2023, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics estimated that the Palestinian economy had lost a total of $1.5 billion USD since the start of the conflict.  In February 2024, the World Bank reported that Gaza's economy had shrunk by 80 percent in the fourth quarter of 2023. (ICE AMMAN)

Fonte notizia: jazeera