UNITED NATIONS, April 14 -- Escalating conflict in West Asia could push up to 2.5 million people in India into poverty and dent the country's human development progress, according to a new report by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The report, titled 'Military Escalation In The Middle East: Human Development Impacts Across Asia And The Pacific', warns that rising fuel, freight and input costs are eroding household purchasing power, increasing food insecurity, and straining public finances across the region.

UNDP's preliminary assessment estimates that 8.8 million people globally could fall into poverty due to the crisis, with the Asia-Pacific region facing potential economic losses of up to USD 299 billion.

In India, po...