GAZA: According to officials and analysts, the coastal enclave of Gaza has seen a massive increase in population, which may be a curse rather than a blessing for the overcrowded and besieged area.
The Hamas-run General Administration of Civil Status of the Ministry of Interior announced in a statement that the population had reached 2,313,747 by the end of 2021. Residents of the coastal Strip are suffering poor economic conditions, which are predicted to worsen if the population continues to expand, according to some analysts.
The Gaza Strip is experiencing its "biggest humanitarian catastrophe," according to Amjad al-Shawa, director of the Palestinian Non-Governmental Network in Gaza, as a result of the 15-year Israeli embargo and internal Palestinian split. "The significant shortage in international money has had a significant impact on reality," al-Shawa remarked.
"Since the beginning of the new year, the situation has worsened and does not appear to be improving any time soon, given the high rates of unemployment, poverty, and deteriorating economic conditions," he continued. Hamed Gad, a Gaza-based economist, told Xinhua that the Strip needs to produce more than 60,000 jobs to keep up with the annual influx of unemployed.
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