GAZA / AGRICULTURE DAMAGE FOOD SECURITY
STORY: GAZA / AGRICULTURE DAMAGE FOOD SECURITY
TRT: 04:19
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH /ARABIC/ NATS
DATELINE: 02 FEBRUARY 2025, RAFAH CITY, SOUTHERN GAZA STRIP
1. Various shots, extent of damage to agricultural land in the Rafah area, southern Gaza Strip
2. Various shots, Palestinian farmers inspecting their agricultural lands and their destroyed crops
3. Various shots, uprooting of palm trees and the destruction of plastic greenhouses used for farming
4. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Hassan Al-Arjan, farmer:
"They destroyed agriculture. These crops, as you can see, are very expensive. We used to cover the market with vegetables and also provide for the displaced people, as they needed food from agriculture like tomatoes and cucumbers. But suddenly, they came and destroyed everything. As you can see, tanks and bulldozers came and leveled all the agricultural land. This is an act of genocide. What harm did these crops, like tomatoes and palm trees, cause them? They don’t care about people eating; they want to starve, thirst, and kill us. They uprooted the water wells, destroyed the greenhouses and the land. They left nothing—no trees, no stones, no streets. We couldn’t even escape because they leveled the streets. They want to kill us. And as you can see, we are civilians with no connection to anything."
5. Various shots, farmers inspecting their destroyed crops
6. Various shots, extent of damage to agricultural land in the Rafah area, southern Gaza Strip
7. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ghaleb Abu Mohsen, farmer:
"I have ten dunams of land, which were planted with cucumbers and tomatoes. Now, as you can see, all ten dunams are gone due to the leveling. We used to harvest tomatoes, cucumbers, and melons, and now there’s nothing left. I have ten people in my family, and now we have nothing left."
8. Various shots, extent of damage to agricultural land in the Rafah area, southern Gaza Strip
The agricultural lands in the Gaza Strip serve as a vital lifeline for its residents, ensuring food security and providing employment for thousands of workers. However, the situation following the ceasefire has revealed the extent of the massive damage inflicted on these lands.
Agricultural lands make up approximately 41 percent of Gaza’s total area—a relatively small space but of strategic importance to the local economy. The people of Gaza rely on these lands for essential food production, such as vegetables and fruits, and some agricultural products are also exported to regional markets, providing additional income for farmers and supporting the local economy.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the ceasefire presents a crucial opportunity to address the catastrophic food crisis by "enabling the delivery of emergency aid and initiating early recovery efforts." The organization noted that more than two million people are in urgent need of assistance due to the collapse of agricultural production.
In a statement, FAO Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol said this is "just the beginning of a long road to recovery from the devastation," stressing that sustainable peace and safe access to affected areas are essential to meeting the enormous needs and ensuring that no one in Gaza is left behind.
She added, "Complementary measures to enhance resilience serve as a bridge between short-term activities and long-term development interventions, helping communities rebuild, recover from crises, restore hope, and support the right to food."
Speaking about the situation on the ground, Hassan Al-Arjan, a farmer from Rafah, said, "They have completely destroyed agriculture. Our crops were very costly, and we supplied the market with vegetables, helping displaced people who relied on them. But suddenly, the tanks and bulldozers came and razed all the farmland."
Another farmer said, "I owned ten dunams planted with cucumbers and tomatoes, and now, as you can see, nothing is left after the bulldozing. We used to harvest tomatoes, cucumbers, and melons, but they have completely disappeared. I have ten family members, and now we are left without a source of livelihood."