Amid the grievous situations happening in Ein ‘Arik, a village in the West Bank, Ali Zeita and her family struggle to fill their pantry and adjust their lifestyle due to her husband’s unemployment. The household, like many others around, have had to ration their food and cut back on their spending due to the economic fallout of recent conflicts.

Over 110,000 Palestinians including Mousa, Amani’s husband, lost their work permits following a Hamas-backed militancy against Israel. The shocking aftermath of the conflict has left a disastrous economic and social crisis in its wake. According to Azmi Abdel Rahman, the director of policy with the Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Labor, nearly 700,000 Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank lost their jobs. The International Labour Organization’s report hinted that the annual unemployment rate might rise to close to 46% in the Occupied Palestinian Territory if the war continues.

Marwan Ataya, a resident of the village of Kafr Ni’ma, disclosed that approximately 40% of the 6,000 community members who used to work inside Israel had been unemployed for the last six months. With the cessation of money flow, even those working in the West Bank lost their jobs. The escalating unemployment rate has resulted in various sociological problems in Palestinian society. Abdhel Rahman stated that without employment, the youth have lost sight of a possible future.

In the face of this economic and social crisis, many of the locals are skeptical about their government’s ability to resolve the issue. Solutions have been sought from donor countries and other countries willing to provide aid. Furthermore, the International Labour Organization is also coordinating with other UN agencies to establish a three-phase relief program to aid Palestinian families and employers. However, until tangible solutions come by, Palestinians are increasingly seeking solace in their religion, viewing it as the only immediate salvation to their current predicaments.