Jeremy Corbyn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeremy Corbyn on 2014-06-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what research her Department has undertaken into the humanitarian effects of the occupation of the West Bank and the blockade of Gaza.

Mr Alan Duncan

Israeli movement and access restrictions do tremendous damage to the Palestinian economy; the World Bank has estimated that easing restrictions on Area C alone could increase Palestinian GDP by 35%. In Gaza, Israeli restrictions on movements of goods and people do tremendous damage to the economy and living standards of ordinary people. 80% of the households in Gaza are below the poverty line, and 57% are food insecure. The UN predicts that by 2020 Gaza may no longer be a ‘liveable’ place.