"In August 2012, the UN warned that by 2020 Gaza would be rendered uninhabitable due to the scarcity of water and food, and lack of housing, schools and hospitals. Many firsthand observers of Gaza's rapid social and economic deterioration argue that the territory is already without a safe and humane environment for its people, some of whom have been driven to the very edge of despair. With its growing dependence on candlelight, transportation by horse and cart, and underground tunnels to sustain life, Gaza is retreating into a medieval society grinding slowly to a halt."