मध्यपूर्व सङ्कट : अरब अर्थतन्त्रमा १९४ अर्ब डलर क्षतिको जोखिम, महिलाको रोजगारी खोसिने डरMiddle East Crisis: Arab Economy Risks $194 Billion Loss, Women's Jobs Under Severe Threat

The ongoing crisis in the Middle East is poised to severely impact Arab economies, with two United Nations agencies warning of potential economic losses reaching up to $194 billion. According to a joint policy report released by UN Women and the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), the conflict threatens nearly 3.6 million jobs, warning that prolonged instability could push an additional 4 million people into poverty.

The report highlights that this severe economic fallout will disproportionately affect women. Due to existing structural inequalities in the labor market and their high participation in the informal sector, women face a far greater risk of losing their livelihoods. In countries such as Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria, an estimated 34,000 to 56,000 women could lose their jobs in the short term alone—a figure that may escalate to nearly 80,000 if the crisis deepens further.

As regional financial pressures mount, female-dominated sectors such as education, healthcare, and public administration are likely to suffer from hiring freezes, wage cuts, and delayed payments. Moez Doraid, UN Women Regional Director for the Arab States, emphasized the urgent need for targeted policy interventions to secure women's livelihoods, warning that failure to act could drastically widen the gender gap. To counter this, the report urges governments to protect the incomes of informal workers, sustain public investments in health and education, and provide targeted support to women-led enterprises.