Page 37 - AA 2025 Year Book Summary

Palestine

Gaza’s agricultural infrastructure continues

to deteriorate at alarming rate

Less than five percent of the Gaza
Strip’s cropland area remains available
for cultivation, according to the latest
geospatial assessment carried out by
the Food and Agriculture Organization
of the United Nations (FAO) and the
United Nations Satellite Centre (UN-
OSAT), further deteriorating food pro-
duction capacity and exacerbating the
risk of famine in the area.
As of April 2025, more than 80 per-
cent of the Gaza Strip’s total cropland
area has been damaged (12,537 hect-
ares out of 15,053) and 77.8 percent is
not accessible to farmers, leaving just
688 hectares (4.6 percent) available for
cultivation. The situation is particularly
critical in Rafah and in the northern
governorates, where nearly all crop-
land is not accessible.
Using high-resolution satellite im-
agery and comparing against pre- houses, and wells destroyed, local Strip – approximately 2.1 million peo-
conflict baselines, the assessment also food production has ground to a halt. ple – is facing a critical risk of famine
found that 71.2 percent of the Gaza Rebuilding will require massive invest- following 19 months of conflict, mass
Strip’s greenhouses have been dam- ment—and a sustained commitment displacement, and severe restrictions
aged. Rafah has suffered the highest in- to restore both livelihoods and hope,” on humanitarian aid.
crease in damaged greenhouses (86.5 said Beth Bechdol, FAO Deputy Direc- According to the IPC report, between
percent in April 2025, compared with tor-General. 1 April and 10 May 2025, 93 percent of
57.5 percent in December 2024), while Looming famine
all greenhouses in the Gaza governate Earlier this year, FAO estimated that the population, which translates to 1.95
are damaged. the total value of damages and losses million people, were classified in Cri-
Agricultural wells have not fared bet- experienced by the agricultural sec- sis or worse (IPC Phase 3 or above),
ter, with 82.8 percent of them damaged tor in Gaza since hostilities began, in including 925,000 (44 percent) in IPC
across the Gaza Strip. That figure stood 2023, was over $2 billion ($835 million Phase 4 (Emergency) and 244,000 peo-
at around 67.7 percent in December in damages, $1.3 billion in losses), with ple, or 12 percent of the population, in
2024. estimated recovery and reconstruction IPC Phase 5 (Catastrophe). In Phase 5,
Before the start of the conflict, agri- needs estimated at about $4.2 billion. the population is subject to catastroph-
culture accounted for approximately With the breakdown of the ceasefire, ic levels of food insecurity and faces
10 percent of Gaza’s economy, with these figures will undoubtedly have starvation.
more than 560,000 people relying en- risen further, underlining the huge Looking ahead, current projections
tirely or partially on crop production, challenge of rebuilding the livelihoods are that 470,000 people (22 percent)
herding, or fishing for their livelihoods. of farmers, livestock owners and fish- will be in IPC Phase 5 from 11 May to
“This level of destruction is not just a ermen across the Gaza Strip. the end of September 2025.
loss of infrastructure – it is a collapse of The latest assessment from FAO and
Gaza’s agrifood system and of lifelines. UNOSAT follows the release of a new In response to the report, FAO has
What once provided food, income, Integrated Food Security Phase Clas- called for the immediate restoration of
and stability for hundreds of thousands sification (IPC) analysis, which warns humanitarian access and the lifting of
is now in ruins. With cropland, green- that the entire population of the Gaza blockades.
Arab Agriculture 2025 35