Latest news with #BethBechdol
Kuwait Times
27-05-2025
- General
- Kuwait Times
Due to war, under 5% of Gaza cropland useable for farming
GAZA: Palestinian farmers sort freshly harvested dates at their farm in Khan Yunis in this file photo. - AFP PARIS: Under five percent of Gaza's farmland is useable due to war, further exacerbating the risk of famine in the devastated Palestinian territory, the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization said Monday. Zionist entity has stepped up a renewed offensive to destroy Hamas in Gaza, drawing international condemnation as aid trickles in following a nearly three-month blockade that has sparked severe food and medical shortages. By the end of April, more than 80 percent of the farmland was damaged and 77.8 percent was no longer accessible, leaving barely 4.6 percent of potentially arable land, according to a new satellite assessment released by FAO. Some 688 hectares is all that remains for cultivation, according to the assessment. The situation is particularly critical in southern Gaza's Rafah and in some northern areas, where nearly all cropland is not accessible. 'With cropland, greenhouses, and wells destroyed, local food production has ground to a halt,' said Beth Bechdol, FAO deputy director-general. Before the start of the war, agriculture accounted for approximately 10 percent of Gaza's economy, with more than 560,000 people relying at least partially on farming, herding or fishing, FAO said. The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said on Sunday that at least 3,785 people had been killed in the territory since a ceasefire collapsed on March 18, taking the war's overall toll to 53,939, mostly civilians. — AFP
Irish Times
27-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Almost all of Gaza's farmland rendered unusable as famine risk rises, finds UN report
Less than 5 per cent of Gaza's farmland can be cultivated, diminishing food production and increasing the risk of famine, according to the latest satellite survey by the UN 's Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) and the United Nations Satellite Centre. More than 89 per cent of Gaza's total cropland has been damaged and 77.8 per cent is not accessible to farmers, leaving just 4.6 per cent available for cultivation, the survey found. The situation is 'particularly critical' in Rafah in the south and in the north, where 'nearly all cropland is not accessible'. Furthermore, 71.2 per cent of Gaza's greenhouses and 82.8 per of agricultural wells have been damaged, the report said. Before the 19-month Israel-Hamas war , agriculture accounted for about 10 per cent of Gaza's economy and more than 560,000 Palestinians depended on crops, herding and fishing for their living. READ MORE Oranges, lemons, dates, cucumbers, aubergines and other vegetables were produced in Gaza for local consumption while Gaza used to export strawberries and flowers to Europe. 'This level of destruction is not just a loss of infrastructure – it is a collapse of Gaza's agri-food system and of lifelines. 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,' said FAO deputy director-general Beth Bechdol. The FAO estimated earlier this year that the combined damages and losses inflicted on Gaza's agricultural sector since the war began in 2023 amounted to more than $2 billion (€1.7 billion), while recovery could cost $4.2 billion. Since the resumption of hostilities on March 18th, costs have surely increased. This assessment followed the release of the April 1st-May 10th integrated food security phase classification analysis, a multi-agency tool for assessing food security, which warned that the entire population of Gaza was 'facing a critical risk of famine following 19 months of conflict, mass displacement and severe restrictions on humanitarian aid'. Current projections show that '470,000 people [will be] subject to catastrophic levels of food insecurity and face starvation'. Gaza's 363sq km of territory began to shrink during the second intifada, the 2000-2005 Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation, when Israel restricted Palestinian access to land between 100m and 300m from the border. After Israel withdrew its soldiers and settlers in August 2025, a 300m 'buffer zone', known as the 'access restricted areas', was imposed along the strip's eastern and northern borders. The UN human rights office reported at the time that this zone covered 62.6sq km, about 35 per cent of Gaza's cultivable land. Shrinkage has systematically increased since then. In February 2025, Israeli troops were deployed along the 700m-1.1km-wide buffer zone, expanding it to cover 10 per cent of Gaza. The Israeli government press office did not respond to The Irish Times's request for comment on the FAO report.
Egypt Today
27-05-2025
- Business
- Egypt Today
FAO: Less than 5% of Gaza cropland available for cultivation
As of April 2025, 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., according to a statement issued by FAO website on Tuesday. The situation is particularly critical in Rafah and in the northern governorates, where nearly all cropland is not accessible. Using high-resolution satellite imagery and comparing against pre-conflict baselines, the assessment also found that 71.2 percent of the Gaza Strip's greenhouses have been damaged. Rafah has suffered the highest increase in damaged greenhouses (86.5 percent in April 2025, compared with 57.5 percent in December 2024), while all greenhouses in the Gaza governate are damaged. Agricultural wells have not fared better, with 82.8 percent of them damaged across the Gaza Strip. That figure stood at around 67.7 percent in December 2024. 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 crop production, herding, or fishing for their livelihoods. 'This level of destruction is not just a loss of infrastructure – it is a collapse of Gaza's agrifood system and of lifelines. 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,' said Beth Bechdol, FAO Deputy Director-General. Earlier this year, FAO estimated that the total value of damages and losses experienced by the agricultural sector in Gaza since hostilities began, in 2023, was over $2 billion ($835 million in damages, $1.3 billion in losses), with estimated recovery and reconstruction needs estimated at about $4.2 billion. With the breakdown of the ceasefire, these figures will undoubtedly have risen further, underlining the huge challenge of rebuilding the livelihoods of farmers, livestock owners and fishermen across the Gaza Strip. The latest assessment from FAO and UNOSAT follows the release of a new Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis, which warns that the entire population of the Gaza Strip – approximately 2.1 million people – is facing a critical risk of famine following 19 months of conflict, mass displacement, and severe restrictions on humanitarian aid.
Agriland
27-05-2025
- General
- Agriland
FAO: Less than 5% of cropland in Gaza available for cultivation
Less than 5% of the Gaza Strip's cropland area remains available for cultivation, according to the latest geospatial assessment by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO). According to the FAO, as of April 2025, 12,536ha out of 15,053ha, more than 80%, of the Gaza Strip's total cropland has been damaged, and 77.8% is not accessible to farmers, leaving just 688ha available for cultivation. The FAO said the situation is particularly critical in Rafah and in the northern governorates, where nearly all cropland is not accessible. Using high-resolution satellite imagery and comparing against pre-conflict baselines, the assessment also found that 71.2% of the Gaza Strip's greenhouses have been damaged. Agricultural wells have not fared better, with 82.8% of them damaged across the Gaza Strip. That figure stood at around 67.7% in December 2024. The FAO believes that before the start of the conflict, agriculture accounted for approximately 10% of Gaza's economy, with more than 560,000 people relying entirely or partially on crop production, herding, or fishing for their livelihoods. The deputy director general of the FAO, Beth Bechdol said: 'This level of destruction is not just a loss of infrastructure – it is a collapse of Gaza's agrifood system and of lifelines. '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,' Bechdol explained. Gaza Earlier this year, 2025, the FAO estimated that the total value of damages and losses experienced by the agricultural sector in Gaza since hostilities began, in 2023, was over $2 billion (€1.7 billion), with recovery and reconstruction needs estimated at $4.2 billion (€3.69 billion). The FAO believes that with the breakdown of the ceasefire, these figures will undoubtedly have risen further, underlining the huge challenge of rebuilding the livelihoods of farmers, livestock owners and fishermen across the Gaza Strip. The latest assessment from FAO and UNOSAT follows the release of a new Integrated Food Security Phase Classification analysis, which warns that the entire population of the Gaza Strip – approximately 2.1 million people – is facing a critical risk of famine following 19 months of conflict, mass displacement, and severe restrictions on humanitarian aid.
Middle East Eye
27-05-2025
- General
- Middle East Eye
Less than five percent of Gaza's agricultural land is usable says UN
The UN has warned that 95 percent of Gaza's agricultural land has been rendered unusable by Israeli attacks, further exacerbating the risk of famine in the territory. A new joint assessment released on Tuesday by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) found that over 80 percent of Gaza's crop land has been damaged by Israeli attacks. According to the report, only 4.6 percent of it can be cultivated, while 71.2 percent of Gaza's greenhouses and 82.8 percent of agricultural wells have been laid to waste by Israeli attacks. The FAO said that Israel's targeting of agricultural infrastructure in the territory risked 'further deteriorating food production capacity and exacerbating the risk of famine'. Beth Bechdol, FAO's deputy director-general, warned that the destruction could precipitate the "collapse of Gaza's agri-food system and of lifelines'. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters She stated: '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.' Four-year-old boy dies of starvation in Gaza due to Israeli blockade Read More » The study comes weeks after the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) reported that famine is imminent in Gaza amid the ongoing total Israeli blockade since 2 March, which has severely restricted food and medical aid into the territory. According to the IPC's analysis, half a million people in Gaza are facing 'catastrophic' hunger from May to September, with over one million at 'emergency' levels. Under international pressure to ease its siege, Israel has permitted limited humanitarian aid to enter the Strip, however relief organisations say that aid has so far failed to reach Gaza's starving population. Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), the controversial US-backed private humanitarian organisation, said it will begin distributing aid in the besieged enclave on Monday, after the sudden resignation of its executive director. The organisation has received fierce criticism from UN officials, who had said its aid distribution plans, initiated by Israel and only involving private companies, would foster displacement of Palestinians and more violence. While GHF reported that truckloads of food has been delivered to its hubs and distribution had begun, Palestinians in Gaza said that there had been no sign of aid reaching the territory.
