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Gaza: Immediate action must combine emergency relief with the restoration of local food production
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Wednesday, 05 February, 2025, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Rome
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The ceasefire is the first step in delivering emergency relief and rebuilding local food production in the Gaza Strip, where more than 2 million people urgently need assistance due to the collapse of agricultural output, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
Beth Bechdol, FAO deputy director-general, said, "The ceasefire provides a critical opportunity to address the catastrophic food crisis in Gaza by enabling emergency aid delivery and initiating early recovery efforts. But this is just the beginning of a long journey to recover from the devastation. We will need sustained peace and access to meet the immense needs and ensure no one in Gaza is left behind."
Bechdol said FAO is committed to ensuring long-term food security. In the meantime, immediate recovery efforts will prioritise rebuilding agrifood infrastructure, such as greenhouses, wells and solar systems, and scaling up the delivery of critical agricultural inputs to restore local food production.
"These complementary actions to strengthen resilience represent a bridge between short-term activities and longer-term development interventions to help communities rebuild and recover from crises, restore hope, and uphold the Right to Food," said Bechdol.
The 15-month conflict has led to severe food insecurity for the entire population of the Gaza Strip, with communities on the brink of starvation.
The latest geospatial assessment carried out by FAO and the United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) between October and December 2024 reveals that the extent of the damage to Gaza's agricultural land has reached unprecedented levels.
According to the assessment, 75 percent of fields once used to grow crops, as well as olive tree orchards, have been damaged or destroyed. Over two-thirds of agricultural wells (1,531 in total) are no longer functional, crippling irrigation. Cattle losses are at 96 percent, milk production has nearly halted, and only one percent of poultry remains alive. The fishing sector is also on the brink of collapse, further worsening food insecurity.
“Agriculture must be at the heart of emergency and recovery efforts. Immediate action must combine emergency relief – food, water, and medical aid – but at the same time, restore local food production. Supporting farmers, herders and fishers now ensures fresh, nutritious food tomorrow," said Bechdol.
Before the start of the conflict, agriculture accounted for approximately 10 percent of Gaza’s economy, with more than 560,000 people relying entirely or partially on cropping, herding, or fishing for their livelihoods. Gaza's agriculture and fisheries exports amounted to $67.3 million in 2022, primarily fresh crops such as strawberries, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, sweet peppers and fresh fish.
According to FAO, rebuilding Gaza’s agricultural sector will be extremely expensive and will take years, if not decades.
In the immediate future, FAO is seeking $74.5 million to assist 154,100 farmers, herders, and fisher men and women with emergency agricultural inputs and technical support, assuming continued stability provided by the ceasefire and improved access and delivery conditions. Investing in agriculture will restore dignity, ensure nutritious food, and lay the foundation for a resilient, self-reliant agrifood system in Gaza.
Lifting the ban on private imports is also crucial for scaling up humanitarian efforts, reactivating local food production, and ensuring a diversified food supply to complement humanitarian aid. The resumption of commercial imports at scale is indispensable to allow rehabilitation efforts to begin.
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