By Abbas Nazil
The Gaza Strip is facing a severe agricultural collapse, with 98.5 percent of its cropland damaged, inaccessible, or both, according to a new satellite-based assessment by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT).
Only 1.5 percent of cropland — about 232 hectares — remains available for cultivation, a sharp drop from 4.6 percent, or 688 hectares, recorded in April 2025.
The findings come as famine conditions intensify in the territory of over 2 million people.
The analysis also shows that 12.4 percent of cropland, though undamaged, is off-limits due to designated “no-go” zones.
This drastic reduction in usable farmland, combined with ongoing conflict, severe restrictions on humanitarian aid delivery, and destruction of vital agricultural infrastructure, has created catastrophic food security conditions.
Damaged or destroyed assets include irrigation systems, roads, farming equipment, storage facilities, and markets, leaving local communities unable to sustain food production.
FAO officials warn that preventing further suffering will require immediate, safe, and sustained humanitarian access, alongside urgent investments to restore local food systems and livelihoods.
Rein Paulsen, FAO’s Director of Emergencies and Resilience, stressed the need to regain safe access to farmland and rehabilitate damaged land and assets.
He emphasised that without swift action, Gaza’s agricultural production cannot be revived, further deepening the crisis.
The cropland assessment follows an Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) alert issued on July 29, which warned that the worst-case scenario of famine is unfolding in Gaza.
Latest data shows that 39 percent of residents are going days without food.
Over 500,000 people — nearly a quarter of the population — are in famine-like conditions, while the remainder face emergency levels of hunger.
In response, FAO, the World Food Programme (WFP), and UNICEF have jointly called for an immediate and sustained ceasefire to stop the violence, allow the safe release of hostages, and facilitate lifesaving humanitarian operations.
They also demand sustained, safe, and unimpeded humanitarian access through all available crossings to deliver food, nutrition supplies, clean water, fuel, and medical aid to families in need.
Reviving commercial supply chains is considered urgent to restore local markets, while protecting civilians, aid workers, and restoring essential services such as healthcare, water, and sewage infrastructure remain critical priorities.
Investment in Gaza’s food system recovery is equally vital, with efforts to revitalise bakeries, reopen markets, and rehabilitate agriculture forming part of the proposed response strategy.
Without these measures, experts warn that famine will tighten its grip on Gaza, putting hundreds of thousands more lives at risk.
