Destitution Seen for Palestinians
The senior United Nations official in the region today painted a devastating picture of the Palestinian economy under Israeli siege in which a large majority was "scrambling to survive" on less than $2 a day and despair was fueling ever greater extremism.

"The draconian security measures in Gaza and the West Bank are producing a real humanitarian crisis, which fuels anger and supports terrorism," Terje Roed-Larsen, the United Nations special coordinator here, said at a news conference.

More than half of all Palestinian households have lost at least half their income, and nearly 20 percent have lost it all,"…
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/30/international/30MIDE.html