By : Najla M. Shahwan
Jordan Daily – “The Palestinian economy is in freefall.” Pedro Manuel Moreno, Deputy Secretary-General, UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) told reporters in Geneve .
A severe economic crisis, driven by collapsing GDP per capita, widespread poverty and soaring unemployment an (UNCTAD) report revealed on September 12 .
The comprehensive report detailed the profound economic destruction that has gripped the Occupied Palestinian Territory in the aftermath of the Israeli military operation in Gaza that followed the 7 October 2023 attack by Hamas on Israel.
The staggering scale of economic devastation and unprecedented decline in economic activity, far surpassed the impact of all previous military confrontations in 2008, 2012, 2014 and 2021.
Inflationary pressures combined with soaring unemployment and collapsing incomes, have severely impoverished Palestinian households.
The West Bank experienced a surge in violence, demolition of Palestinian assets, confiscations, and settlement expansions.The combined impact of the military operation in Gaza and its repercussions in the West Bank delivered an unparalleled shock that overwhelmed the Palestinian economy across the occupied Territory, including East Jerusalem.
By early 2024, between 80% to 96% of Gaza’s agricultural assets -including irrigation systems, livestock farms, orchards, machinery, and storage facilities – had been decimated, crippling the region’s food production capacity and worsening the already high levels of food insecurity.
Besides, the destruction has hit the private sector hard, with 82% of businesses, a key driver of Gaza’s economy, damaged or destroyed.
Gaza’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) plummeted by 81%in the last quarter of 2023, leading to a 22% contraction for the entire year. By mid-2024 Gaza’s economy had shrunk to less than one-sixth of its 2022 level.
The situation in Gaza is particularly dire, with two-thirds of pre-war jobs—approximately 201,000 positions— lost by January 2024 just further worsening the already critical economic and humanitarian crisis in the Strip.
Meanwhile, the West Bank has been undergoing a rapid and alarming economic decline. Settlement expansion, land confiscations, demolition of Palestinian structures and increased settler violence throughout 2023 -2024 , have displaced communities and severely impacted economic activities.
These disruptions have affected various sectors across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, where commerce, tourism and transportation have suffered a considerable downturn.
As a result, 80% of businesses in the Old City of East Jerusalem have either partially or completely ceased operations.
The initial optimism of a 4% GDP growth in the West Bank during the first three quarters of 2023 was abruptly reversed by an unprecedented 19% contraction in the fourth quarter. This sharp downturn resulted in an overall annual GDP decline of 1.9%. Additionally, per capita GDP decreased by 4.5%, indicating a substantial drop in living standards and household incomes.
Labor market conditions in the West Bank have deteriorated significantly, with 96% of businesses reporting decreased activity and 42.1% reducing their workforce.
A total of 306,000 jobs have been lost, pushing West Bank’s unemployment rates from 12.9% before the conflict to 32%. These job losses have resulted in an estimated daily labor income loss of $25.5 million, severely eroding the economic resilience of Palestinian households and exacerbating social hardships.
Besides, trade activities In the West Bank have been severely disrupted due to increased restrictions on the movement of people and goods.The number of checkpoints across the occupied West Bank rose from 567 in early October 2023 to 700 by February 2024, significantly hindering economic activity.
Additionally , poverty has been spreading widely and growing in recent years . B y 2022, one-third of the Palestinian population (1.84 million people) was food insecure (lacking consistent access to sufficient and nutritious food), or severely food insecure and 31.1 per cent lived in poverty while
2023, 80% of Gaza’s population before October depended on international assistance. Currently, poverty is affecting nearly the entire population of Gaza and is rising rapidly in the West Bank.
On its part , the Palestinian government’s fiscal stability is under immense pressure, jeopardizing its ability to function effectively and provide essential services. Despite efforts at fiscal reform, the government’s fiscal capacity has been eroded by slow GDP growth, revenue deductions by Israel, and a sharp decline in international aid.
In 2023, international donor support fell to its lowest level at $358 million equivalent to just 2% of GDP, down from $2 billion, or 27% of GDP in 2008.
Since October 2023, revenue deductions and withholdings by Israel have escalated totaling over $1.4 billion between 2019 and April 2024. This amount represents 8.1% of Palestine’s GDP in 2023, leading to significant budgetary shortfalls. These fiscal challenges have hampered the government’s ability to pay employees, service debts, and maintain critical public services such as healthcare and education.
The situation has also led to growing debt, delayed payments to private suppliers, and reduced social transfers to the poor.
The performance of the Palestinian economy has been heavily influenced by external factors, particularly measures taken by Israel and, to a lesser extent, by fluctuations in aid flows. UNCTAD stresses that prolonged occupation remains the main obstacle to sustainable economic development.
Persistent restrictions on investment, labor mobility and trade have systematically undermined economic potential, exacerbating poverty and instability.
The report offers a comprehensive analysis of the severe economic challenges facing the Occupied Palestinian Territory and echoes the UN Secretary-General’s call for urgent measures to support and strengthen Palestinian institutions, highlighting the need to enhance peacebuilding efforts.
It calls for immediate and substantial intervention by the international community to halt the economic freefall, address the humanitarian crisis, and lay the groundwork for lasting peace and development.
Najla M. Shahwan is Palestinian author, researcher and freelance journalist.She is also Chairwoman of the Palestinian Center for Children’s Literature ( PCCL ) , founder of Jana Woman Cultural Magazine and recipient of two prizes from the Palestinian Union of Writers.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the Jordan Daily.