§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what recent assessment he has made of how many people are living in poverty in(a) the West Bank, (b) Gaza and (c) East Jerusalem. [129057]
Mr. Gareth ThomasPoverty in the Palestinian Occupied Territories has increased dramatically since the intifada started in September 2000. According to the most recent World Bank assessment, 60 per cent. of Palestinians, 1.9 million people, are living on less than $2 a day. In the Gaza Strip, the level is as high as 75 per cent.