Gaza’s agricultural infrastructure continues to deteriorate at alarming rate

Less than five percent of the Gaza Strip’s cropland area remains available for cultivation, according to the latest geospatial assessment carried out by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT), further deteriorating food production capacity and exacerbating  the risk of famine in the area.

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. 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.

Looming famine in Gaza

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.

According to the IPC report, between 1 April and 10 May 2025, 93 percent of the population, which translates to 1.95 million people, were classified in Crisis or worse (IPC Phase 3 or above), including 925,000 (44 percent) in IPC Phase 4 (Emergency) and 244,000 people, or 12 percent of the population, in IPC Phase 5 (Catastrophe). In Phase 5, the population is subject to catastrophic levels of food insecurity and faces starvation. 

Looking ahead, current projections are that 470,000 people (22 percent) will be in IPC Phase 5 from 11 May to the end of September 2025.