Gaza war in numbers: Deaths, poverty, and displacement

The poverty rate in Palestine will climb 34 percent on expected levels for this year if the Gaza war continues for a second month, the UN estimated in a report published on Thursday.

It would push almost half a million more people into poverty, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) said.

Their report estimated that, as the fighting turned a month old, poverty had increased by 20 percent relative to levels expected for 2023. With a third month of fighting, this would rise to 45 percent.

"The unprecedented loss of life, human suffering, and destruction in the Gaza Strip is unacceptable," UNDP chief Achim Steiner said.

"UNDP joins the UN secretary-general's calls for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire; the release of all hostages; and humanitarian access to allow life-saving aid to reach civilians at the scale needed."

The UN report said the war will likely see human development put back by 11 to 16 years in Palestine, according to four scenarios with different impacts on life expectancy and other issues.

Gaza would see a decline of 16 to 19 years.

"A ceasefire and sustained flow of humanitarian assistance would produce an immediate and tangible alleviation of suffering and reduce deprivation levels for hundreds of thousands of Palestinian families: this is an essential first step," said ESCWA executive secretary Rola Dashti.

"Economic recovery in Gaza following a ceasefire will not be immediate, considering the large-scale displacement of the population, the massive levels of destruction and uncertain access to resources, including materials and equipment owing to the siege on Gaza."

Israel's war has devastated the besieged strip, with residential buildings, places of worship and hospitals impacted by bombing.

The number of people killed in the Palestinian enclave is more than 11,000, including over 4,500 children, the Gaza health ministry has said. Almost 27,500 people have been injured, mostly children, women and elderly.

Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor said 64 mosques and three churches have been damaged, while 1.6 million people had been internally displaced.

The rights group said on social media platform X on Thursday that 214 schools had been damaged and 790 industrial facilities destroyed.

The media has also been impacted, with 111 press headquarters destroyed or damaged and 46 journalists killed, according to Euro-Med Monitor.