Dhaka, April 1 -- The ongoing military escalation in the Middle East has pushed the region towards a sharp rise in poverty, with up to 4 million people set to fall below the poverty line, according to new estimates by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The assessment, titled "Military Escalation in the Middle East: Economic and Social Implications for the Arab States Region", highlighted how the conflict -- now in its fifth week -- could shrink regional economies by 3.7 to 6.0 percent of their combined GDP, translating into losses of $120 billion to $194 billion.

It said the shock could also raise unemployment by up to 4 percentage points, wiping out around 3.6 million jobs -- more than the total jobs created in 2025.

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