India is the country most severely affected by Middle East tensions outside the Arab world, according to a situation report published Tuesday by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The report highlights gas shortages, a wave of returning migrant workers, and rising labour unrest as signs of deep internal vulnerability, with analysts pointing to a job market that cannot keep pace with India's demographic growth. The UNDP estimates that the ongoing regional conflict could push an additional 2.5 million Indians into poverty, exposing what critics describe as structural weaknesses in the country's shift toward a market-driven economic model.