The World Food Programme, a United Nations agency, has warned that the increasing arrests and Israeli restrictions on movement in the West Bank are exacerbating hunger rates among Palestinians.
According to the United Nations News site, Palestine’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) decreased by 22% in the last three months of 2023. The report attributed this decrease to various factors, including closures in the West Bank, the mass layoff of Palestinian workers in Israel, and a rise in the unemployment rate to 29% during this period, compared to just 13% in the previous three months.
The UN agency stated that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have lost their work permits in Israel and are unable to leave the West Bank. Meanwhile, commercial activity within the occupied Palestinian territories is limited, posing a significant threat to the economy and humanitarian situation with further deteriorating conditions.
Since October 7th, the situation in the West Bank has witnessed political and economic deterioration due to Israeli restrictions on movement, the establishment of additional military checkpoints, significantly restricting freedom of movement.
Food Security Crisis
Marika Gudorian, the Deputy Country Director for the World Food Programme in Palestine, emphasized that needs were already high before the current crisis but have now significantly worsened. Urgent funding is required to assist those in need suffering from the impact of the war in Gaza on the West Bank.
Based on initial assessments by food security sector partners, food insecurity in the West Bank has risen from 350,000 individuals – around 10% of the population – to an estimated 600,000 people since the current conflict erupted.
The Programme expects this number to increase in the coming months, with the largest number of food insecure individuals residing in Nablus and Hebron.
The World Food Programme explained that increasing Israeli restrictions on movement have prevented farmers in towns from selling their produce and buyers from accessing markets. Food prices have significantly risen in the West Bank, while unemployment and poverty rates are also on the rise.
The West Bank is experiencing heightened tension and field confrontations between Palestinians and the Israeli army, including raids and arrests of Palestinians, coinciding with a devastating war in Gaza that has left tens of thousands of civilian casualties, mostly children and women.
