An unprecedented level of destruction. In the Gaza Strip, no sector escapes the crushing operation launched by the Israeli army in response to the Hamas terrorist attack of October 7, 2023, and agriculture is affected at unprecedented levels, worsening the food crisis in the territory. . According to the latest assessment published on Thursday, October 3, by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Agency (FAO), two-thirds of Gaza’s agricultural land, or more than 10,000 hectares, have been damaged since the start of Israeli military operations. In the northern governorates of the territory, the level of destruction is even close to 80%.
The causes of this damage are numerous: bombings, passage of heavy equipment, population displacements, establishment of a “buffer zone” by the Israeli army within the borders of Gaza – further amputating its narrow territory… To carry out its analysis, The FAO relied on several high-resolution satellite images, comparing the period from October 2023 with previous years, from 2017 to 2023, complemented by field interviews. In its evaluation, FAO also took into account the seasons, types of crops and their calendars to be able to interpret the images and understand changes in vegetation cover.
Agricultural land covers 42% of Gaza’s territory. The vast majority of them are orchards and the rest are orchards and fields. If the model is essentially subsistence agriculture, greenhouses, orchards, small livestock farms and fishing boats covered, before the start of the conflict, an important part of the needs for eggs, poultry, milk, vegetables, fish and fruits. of the more than 2 million inhabitants of Gaza. And this despite the blockade imposed by Israel since Hamas came to power in Gaza in 2007. Agriculture represented, until a year ago, 10% of the territory’s gross domestic product and supported 500,000 people.
“The agricultural sector has always been very important in Gaza, even if it was not enough to cover the needs of the population.explains Giulia Pizzicannella, food safety expert in the emergency team of the NGO Action Against Hunger. The land is small, access to water is difficult, with an overexploited aquifer, electricity has been intermittent for a long time and farmers depend on purchasing fuel to be able to irrigate… Farmers were already vulnerable due to the high cost of inputs. »
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