Gaza in 2020: A Liveble Place?

The United Nations Country Team (UNCT) in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), at its annual retreat in
November 2011, discussed critical development and humanitarian challenges facing Palestinians in the oPt.
As part of its programme of work, the UN initiated a study to see what the Gaza Strip might look like by the
year 2020 as a place in which to live. Building on what is known now, the resulting study seeks to highlight
the formidable developmental, humanitarian and social imperatives which need to be addressed and resolved,
irrespective of the political context.
The document which follows thus provides an overview of current challenges and trends in Gaza, and through
the lens of the UN family working in the oPt presents an extrapolation eight years forward to 2020. It is based
on a wealth of existing literature both from within the UN and outside, and the wide range of sources used is
reflected as Endnotes at Annex One. The reader who seeks more in-depth information and analysis is encouraged
to explore the literature under References at Annex Two.
The broad objectives of this study are to: highlight the longer-term effects and implications of current
developmental and social trends and challenges affecting the Gaza Strip; raise awareness of these both locally
and internationally; and, inform the strategic programming of the United Nations in support of the Palestinian
people of the oPt.
The document does not venture any opinion or forecast of the evolution of political events, nor does it offer
prescriptive advice based on different political scenarios. The document does implicitly assume a peace process
which leads ultimately to a solution of two sovereign states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and
harmony.