ONLY 3 % OF GAZA’S AGRICULTURAL LAND REMAINS ACCESSIBLE AND UNDAMAGED: FAO

Wed 19 August 2026:

The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said 97 per cent of cropland in the Gaza Strip is now damaged or inaccessible, according to an assessment carried out with the UN Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) as of 24 June.

In a report published on Tuesday, the organisation said only 448 hectares (one hectare is 10,000 square meters) of agricultural land remained accessible and undamaged, down from 601 hectares in October 2025, a 25.5 per cent decrease.

Rafah in southern Gaza recorded the highest levels of inaccessibility to agricultural land, while the worst physical damage was concentrated in the northern Gaza and Gaza governorates. The FAO said only 16.6 per cent of the greenhouse area remained accessible and undamaged.

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The FAO warned that restrictions on access to land, along with shortages of seeds, fertilisers, fuel, irrigation supplies and animal feed, are hindering the recovery of the agricultural sector. It called for urgent action to ensure farmers can access their land, rehabilitate damaged areas and provide essential production supplies.

Since 7 October 2023, Israel, with US and European support, has carried out what the report describes as genocide in the Gaza Strip, involving killing, starvation, destruction, displacement and detention, despite international appeals and orders from the International Court of Justice to halt it.

-MEMO

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