NEW
YORK — A United Nations study has indicated that the economic impact of the war
in Gaza on neighboring Arab countries, including Lebanon, Egypt, and Jordan,
could exceed $10 billion this year, pushing over 230,000 people into poverty.
اضافة اعلان
The
conflict in the
besieged Gaza Strip has occurred during a challenging period
for Arab nations, marked by financial pressures, slow growth, and high
unemployment rates, hindering necessary investment and adversely affecting
consumption and trade. Lebanon is particularly grappling with a deep economic
crisis, Al-Mamlaka TV reported.
2.3 percent of the GDP
Commissioned
by the United Nations Development Program, the study highlighted that the war's
cost for the three countries, in terms of gross domestic product losses, might
reach $10.3 billion or 2.3 percent of GDP.
This
figure could double if the conflict persists for an additional six months.
Abdallah
Al-Dardari, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and Director of
the Regional Office for Arab States at the United Nations Development Program
overseeing the study, described the impact as "huge." He emphasized
that the crisis acted like a bomb in an already fragile regional situation,
heightening tensions with fears about the potential outcomes.
Israel
initiated its military campaign to eliminate Hamas, which controls the Gaza
Strip, relying on international sympathy following the "
Al-Aqsa Flood" operation on October 7. Since then, Israeli forces have besieged
the Strip, reducing much of it to rubble. Palestinian health authorities
confirm over 18,000 deaths, with fears of thousands more missing or
inaccessible beneath the debris.
Almost 50 percent of homes were
destroyed within one month of fighting
Dardari
noted that the extent of
destruction in Gaza during this short period has been
unprecedented since World War II. He added that 45 to 50 percent of the total
number of homes were destroyed within one month of fighting, describing the
situation as unparalleled. Drawing a comparison with Syria, he stated that
Syria took five years of conflict to reach a level of destruction equivalent to
what Gaza experienced in one month.
Dardari,
an expert in
reconstruction in conflict zones, explained that his team is
already in communication with development funds and multilateral financial
institutions regarding post-war reconstruction scenarios in Gaza. He emphasized
that these efforts have commenced without waiting for the battles to conclude.
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