Gaza strips on the ground: GDP breaks 86 percent - poverty explodes!

Gaza strips on the ground: GDP breaks 86 percent - poverty explodes!

In the middle of the raging war in the Middle East, which has been raging for over a year, the economic consequences for the Gaza Strip are devastating. The conflict that escalated after the devastating Hamas attack on October 7, 2023 has plunged the region into a humanitarian disaster. The numbers speak for themselves: According to the World Bank, the gross domestic product (GDP) in the Gaza Strip in early 2024 has broken down by alarming 86 percent. The construction sector experienced a decline of 96 percent, agriculture by 93 percent and even the services shrank by 76 percent. The economic structures that once existed have now become ruins.

catastrophic living conditions

The situation in Gaza was catastrophic before the war. With an unemployment rate of 45 percent in 2022, two thirds of the population lived in poverty, while 80 percent were dependent on international help. The blockade had severely restricted access to vital goods and services. The situation has been dramatically intensified since the military conflicts. It is estimated that at least 40,000 people were killed by August 2024 and more than 92,000 were injured. The humanitarian crisis is unimaginable: 96 percent of the population suffers from acute nutritional uncertainty, and many people have already reached the most difficult level.

The forecasts for per capita income are dark. By the end of the year, it could only be $ 225 a year-that is just 18 percent of the low level of 2022. Experts of the International Labor Organization (ILO) even warn of a decline in $ 181, which would make people in the Gaza Strip the poorest in the world. In the north of Gazas, the daily calorie intake was in April 2024 with terrifying 245 calories per person, which corresponds to the nutritional value of a can of beans. The economic destruction and humanitarian emergency are alarming and demands for immediate attention.