UN Report: Middle East Conflict Risks 2.5 Million Indians in Poverty

A United Nations Development Programme report released this week warns that the escalating military conflict in the Middle East could drive up to 2.5 million Indians into poverty while reversing recent gains in human development across Asia and the Pacific.

The study, titled "Military Escalation in the Middle East: Human Development Impacts Across Asia and the Pacific," projects that the crisis will erode household purchasing power through surging fuel, freight, and input costs. This shock is expected to raise food insecurity, strain public budgets, and undermine livelihoods in the region. In India, the number of people falling below the poverty line could increase from about 400,000 to 2.5 million, depending on the conflict's duration and severity. Under the most severe scenario—a 28-day escalation followed by an eight-month adjustment—India's poverty rate would climb from 23.9 percent to 24.2 percent, adding roughly 2.46 million individuals to the ranks of the poor. The total number of people living in poverty would rise from 351.57 million to 354.03 million.

Globally, the report estimates that up to 8.8 million people could be pushed into poverty, with South Asia bearing the...