JERUSALEM: In a recent report on Monday titled “Racing Against Time,” the World Bank shed light on the severe economic challenges faced by Palestinians due to Israel’s restrictions and growing fiscal constraints in the Palestinian territories blocking their access to healthcare.
These challenges are not only impeding economic growth but also obstructing timely access to life-saving healthcare, exacerbating an already dire situation.
The World Bank revealed that the Palestinian economy is performing below its potential, with per capita income expected to remain stagnant. Poverty in the Palestinian territories is on the rise, with one in four Palestinians living below the poverty line, according to the Washington-based global lender.
The report highlighted Israel’s restrictions on movement and trade in the occupied West Bank, the blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip, and the division between the two Palestinian territories as key factors contributing to the Palestinian economy’s high risk. The fiscal constraints are putting immense pressure on the Palestinian health system, particularly in dealing with the growing burden of non-communicable diseases.
Stefan Emblad, the World Bank’s director for the West Bank and Gaza, expressed concern about the impact of these restrictions on healthcare provision, citing the lengthy and bureaucratic permit regime that makes it difficult to provide timely life-saving healthcare to Palestinians. Access to medical referrals for critical conditions such as cancers, heart diseases, maternal, and child birth conditions is significantly affected due to physical and administrative constraints.
The situation is particularly critical in Gaza, where the health system capacity is limited, and patients struggle to obtain medical exit permit applications in a timely manner. The near-blockade of Gaza has led to increased mortality rates, with some patients not surviving the lengthy permit process.
Every year, thousands of Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza Strip seek medical treatment in Israel due to the unavailability of necessary medical facilities in the impoverished Palestinian territories.
Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and the blockade on Gaza have further exacerbated the challenges faced by the Palestinian population. The Israeli restrictions have obstructed medical supplies to the Gaza Strip since Hamas rose to power in 2007.
The World Bank called on both Israel and Palestinian authorities to improve the management of medical cases and streamline the permit process, facilitating timely healthcare assistance to patients and their companions. It emphasized that the Palestinian economy has been stagnating for the past five years and is unlikely to improve without substantial changes in policies and conditions on the ground.
