The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has sounded the alarm over what it described as an “unprecedented humanitarian and agricultural catastrophe” unfolding in the Gaza Strip, as Israeli bombardment and blockade have devastated the enclave’s food production systems.

In its latest annual report, the FAO revealed that less than 5% of Gaza’s agricultural land remains cultivable, with over 80% of cultivated land destroyed by months of Israeli military aggression. The report also documented the complete destruction of nearly 70% of agricultural greenhouses and extensive damage to the majority of wells, rendering access to irrigation and drinking water almost impossible.

According to the organization, these conditions have led to the near-total collapse of Gaza’s local food production system, forcing the territory’s 2.3 million residents to rely almost entirely on humanitarian aid for survival. The FAO warned that if restrictions on the entry of agricultural inputs, fertilizers, and fuel through the crossings continue, the Strip could face widespread famine in the coming months.

The report further noted that 90% of Gaza’s population lacks access to sufficient food, while vegetable and grain production has fallen to less than half of its pre-war levels. The fishing sector, once a crucial source of protein and income for thousands of families, has also suffered devastating losses due to both Israeli bombardment and ongoing maritime restrictions that have halted normal operations.

The FAO classified Gaza among the four worst food crises worldwide for 2024–2025, alongside Sudan, Yemen, and Afghanistan. It urged the international community to adopt an urgent, multi-sectoral humanitarian response encompassing food security, water access, health services, and psychosocial support, warning that the failure to act immediately could result in a complete humanitarian collapse.

The organization concluded that Gaza’s agricultural and food systems cannot recover without unrestricted humanitarian access, reconstruction of critical infrastructure, and the cessation of Israeli attacks on farmlands, fisheries, and water networks that sustain the population’s livelihood. (ILKHA)