Conflict exposure and health: Evidence from the Gaza Strip

We study the impact of conflict exposure on health in the Gaza Strip using individual‐level longitudinal data and geo‐localized information on conflict‐related violent events. Results show that individuals living in localities exposed to more conflict events have a higher probability of suffering from a physical impairment and a chronic disease. Two mechanisms contribute to explain why living in conflict‐affected area increases the incidence of physical impairment: conflict increases the difficulty to reach health facilities and it decreases individual income. The conflict‐induced increase in the probability of having high blood pressure is instead consistent with the development of Post‐Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) due to the exposure to conflict‐related violent events.