Al-Dardari to Asharq Al-Awsat: Gaza Regressed 21 Years in Human Development

Palestinians inspect the site of an Israeli raid on a house in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, on Thursday. (Reuters)
Palestinians inspect the site of an Israeli raid on a house in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, on Thursday. (Reuters)
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Al-Dardari to Asharq Al-Awsat: Gaza Regressed 21 Years in Human Development

Palestinians inspect the site of an Israeli raid on a house in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, on Thursday. (Reuters)
Palestinians inspect the site of an Israeli raid on a house in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, on Thursday. (Reuters)

Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and Regional Director for Arab States, Abdullah Al-Dardari, said that numbers published in the media “cannot capture the scale of the catastrophe that the Gaza Strip is witnessing.”
Al-Dardari pointed to the continuation of the Gaza war, the worsening humanitarian crisis, the lack of life requirements, such as energy and clean water, and the interruption of education, in addition to the significant decline in the levels of health service after a number of hospitals went out of service.
In an exclusive interview with Asharq Al-Awsat from Amman, Al-Dardari echoed the statements of European Union foreign policy official Josep Borrell, who said that the situation in Gaza was “an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe.”
“We have never seen this scale of destruction in such a short period of time,” he remarked, adding: “The economic effects of the war on Gaza will remain for a long period of time.”
Al-Dardari noted that more than 60 percent of Gaza’s homes were destroyed so far - homes that have been partially or completely wiped out.
“This damage exceeds the percentage of destruction in any war, whether a civil war, an internal conflict, or a conflict between countries since World War II in this short period,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat.
Al-Dardari revealed that the Gaza Strip has gone back about 21 years in human development, and lost $50 billion worth of investments in health, education, infrastructure, sanitation, and energy.
“The war destroyed most of the UNDP projects in Gaza,” he said, recalling the Saif al-Quds confrontations that broke out in May 2021, during which 1,700 homes were destroyed in Gaza, of which only 200 were rebuilt.
“These 200 homes were destroyed during the war taking place today,” he underlined, referring to the slow pace of reconstruction programs in the unstable areas.
The UN official estimated the losses of the entire Palestinian economy at about 8 percent of the Palestinian GDP, equivalent to $1.7 billion, out of the Palestinian national product, which amounted to $20 billion.
However, he said: “The loss is not in these figures, but rather in the massive decline in human resources development.”
“The wheel of development will be stalled... especially in light of the talk about the complete cessation of about 90 percent of economic activities in Gaza,” he explained.
The UN official talked about the initial repercussions of the war on the West Bank, pointing to huge economic losses.
“As you know, Palestinian farmers were unable to harvest olives in season, nor to collect their citrus production, as a result of the settlers’ attacks and the bad security situatio,” he stated.
Although Gaza constitutes only 20 percent of the Palestinian GDP, the decline of the Palestinian economy by 8 percent in two months is a significant matter, according to Al-Dardari.
He explained: “Expectations indicate that if the war continues for three months... the impact on the gross domestic product will reach 2.5 percent, one billion dollars for the Palestinian economy as a whole.”
The Human Development Index includes three basic components: The first is the per capita share of national product, the second is the number of years of education, and the third is life expectancy at birth. These components form indicators of health, education, and the economy. In Gaza, the economy suffered a major shock, health was clearly destroyed, as well as education.
In this context, the Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations confirmed that Gaza has now almost returned to what was before 2002. He said: “Everything that has been built in Palestinian human development so far has been erased. We must start from that point in 2002, and we do not know how many years it will take us to reach that point.”
Al-Dardari expected poverty rates in Palestine to rise from 1.8 million Palestinians to 2.3 million, i.e. an increase of about 500,000 people.
“This is only in two months... poverty does not usually increase to such large proportions during very short periods,” he remarked.
He indicated that the effects of the war on Gaza exceed a year and a half of the repercussions of the Covid-19 crisis in terms of poverty and unemployment, as the number of unemployed people has increased by about 300,000 people.
According to Al-Dardari, the scale of the economic, developmental and humanitarian catastrophe was never seen in such a short period of time. He said that two million people were currently without homes, hospitals and schools.
“Rebuilding all of that, housing people, and restoring some health and educational services, drinking water and sanitation require time and costs,” the UN official underlined, adding: “I can describe reality as a hotbed of humanitarian explosion, meaning the explosion of all humanitarian problems at the same time.”
Al-Dardari warned that if the war continued for an additional three months, losses incurred by neighboring countries, including Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon, would reach 4.5 percent, or about $19 billion.
“This number is large even though these countries are not involved in the war. In Lebanon the situation may be partially different, but countries other than Lebanon are affected by the repercussions of the Gaza war, and to compensate for these losses you will need additional investments and a long time. Estimates indicate that the three countries will lose two to three years in human development,” he affirmed.
Regarding the situation in Lebanon, the UN official noted that a special report will soon be issued, saying that up to this moment, 40,000 olive trees have been burned in southern Lebanon due to phosphorus bombs.
“This constitutes income for thousands of families,” he emphasized.

Al-Dardari concluded that if war continues at the same pace of violence and destruction, the number of poor people will rise to more than half a million in these three countries.
“This war has so far had tangible regional effects, but those can be contained. If the war continues, the consequences will be great and the international community will bear the responsibility of compensating for these losses,” the UN official said.
He added: “We demand an end to the war. There is an opportunity if the war stops now, because its economic effects in the region, although tangible, are still containable. The expansion of time will double these effects.”

 

 

 



Yemen Defense Minister: Houthi Attacks May Persist Even After Gaza War Ends

Yemeni Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Mohsen al-Daeri (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Yemeni Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Mohsen al-Daeri (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Yemen Defense Minister: Houthi Attacks May Persist Even After Gaza War Ends

Yemeni Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Mohsen al-Daeri (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Yemeni Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Mohsen al-Daeri (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Yemen’s Defense Minister, Lt. Gen. Mohsen al-Daeri, does not expect Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea to stop even if the Gaza war ends. He also warns of rising tensions in the region, which could lead to a major conflict.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, al-Daeri affirmed close coordination between Yemeni forces and the Saudi-led Arab Coalition. He praised Saudi Arabia’s key role in the coalition, highlighting its continuous support for Yemen.

Al-Daeri said there has been significant progress in unifying government-aligned military forces, with committees set up by the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) establishing a joint operations authority.

Despite challenges, he remains optimistic that these efforts will help unify the military command against the common enemy — Yemen’s Houthi militias.

Al-Daeri warned that Houthi attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea are a serious threat to Yemen and the region. He noted that the Houthis are using these attacks to distract from their internal problems and are trying to capitalize on Yemeni sympathy for Palestine by claiming support for Gaza.

He added that the Houthis are unlikely to stop targeting international shipping, even if the Gaza war ends, and are constantly seeking new alliances with terrorist groups to strengthen their position.

Al-Daeri, accused Iran of fueling instability in Yemen by supporting Houthi militias for years, smuggling weapons and military experts to spread chaos without regard for regional stability.

On US relations, Al-Daeri said ties are good but military cooperation remains limited. He noted that US military aid, suspended in 2014, has not yet returned to previous levels.

Al-Daeri said his visit to Saudi Arabia was part of ongoing coordination with the Joint Operations Command and the Saudi Ministry of Defense to strengthen defense cooperation between the two countries.

During his “productive” visit, Al-Daeri met with several military leaders, congratulated the new commander of the Joint Operations, Lt. Gen. Fahd Al-Salman, and held talks with officials from the Saudi Ministry of Defense and the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition.

Al-Daeri emphasized the strong defense cooperation with Saudi Arabia, particularly during Yemen’s war in recent years.

He noted that the high level of coordination with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and other Arab Coalition members has significantly improved regional military readiness.

Al-Daeri said relations with Saudi Arabia are growing stronger, with both countries working closely together to fulfill their missions in the region.

He described defense cooperation as being at its peak, praising Saudi Arabia’s leadership in the Arab Coalition.

“Saudi Arabia has always provided full support—military, financial, and moral. As the region’s strongest power, they have supported Yemen not just with resources, but also with strategic expertise and by fighting alongside us, even sacrificing their lives for our cause,” Al-Daeri told Asharq Al-Awsat.

He said Houthi militias have taken advantage of the ceasefire and the Saudi-led initiative, which later became a UN effort, to conduct hostile activities and assert their presence.

He referred to the Houthis’ actions as creating a “massive prison” for millions of Yemenis who do not want to live in their controlled areas.

Al-Daeri, described the situation in the region as dangerous, pointing to recent events in Gaza and Lebanon as signs of increasing tensions. He warned of the risk of an unprecedented regional war due to the rising violence and conflicts.

“What is happening is very alarming, especially with the recent events, including terrorist militias in Yemen, the unacceptable violence in Gaza over the past year, and the situation in southern Lebanon. This all signals the risk of an unusual war,” said al-Daeri.

Regarding potential outcomes, al-Daeri noted that Yemeni forces are ready for both war and peace. He acknowledged significant efforts to achieve peace but warned that renewed conflict could occur at any moment. He also pointed out ongoing provocations from Houthis, which continue to lead to casualties.

"We are ready for all options and have comprehensive strategic plans for deploying our forces. The past two years have seen a ceasefire, and the Arab Coalition is making significant efforts to achieve peace rather than resorting to war. However, this does not mean that conflict won’t resume; it could restart at any time,” explained al-Daeri.

“Despite the ceasefire and the presence of our forces, the legitimate troops have not fired back, yet the militias provoke us daily, resulting in casualties,” he added.

“Patience is a key quality of the legitimate authority in Yemen, led by Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and his colleagues in the Presidential Leadership Council. This patience reflects our readiness for the moment of truth, whether for peace or war—we are prepared,” asserted al-Daeri.