ONLY 4.6% OF GAZA’S CROPLAND USEABLE: UN ASSESSMENT

Mon 26 May 2025:

A new geospatial assessment carried out by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations Satellite Centre has found that less than five percent of Gaza’s cropland can be cultivated due to damage and access restrictions.

The “alarming” deterioration of the territory’s agriculture infrastructure is “further deteriorating food production capacity and exacerbating the risk of famine in the area”, FAO said in a statement.

The analysis found that as of last month, more than 80 percent of the Gaza Strip’s total cropland area has been damaged (12,537 hectares out of 15,053) and 77.8 percent is not accessible to farmers, leaving just 688 hectares (4.6 percent) available for cultivation.

The assessment also said that 71.2 percent of Gaza’s greenhouses 82.8 percent of its agricultural wells have been damaged.

“This level of destruction is not just a loss of infrastructure – it is a collapse of Gaza’s agrifood system and of lifelines,” said Beth Bechdol, FAO’s deputy director-general.

“What once provided food, income, and stability for hundreds of thousands is now in ruins. With cropland, greenhouses, and wells destroyed, local food production has ground to a halt. Rebuilding will require massive investment—and a sustained commitment to restore both livelihoods and hope.”

The findings comes after the release of a new Integrated Food Security Phase Classification analysis earlier this month which warned that the entire population of the Gaza Strip – some 2.1 million people – is facing a critical risk of famine following 19 months of war, mass displacement and severe restrictions on humanitarian aid.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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