DaysofPal — The agricultural sector in the Gaza Strip has suffered losses estimated at $3.49 billion due to widespread destruction caused by the ongoing Israeli genocidal war, leading to a near-collapse of production systems, the Ministry of Agriculture said on Monday.
In a statement, the ministry said losses include approximately $1.90 billion in direct damage and $1.59 billion in indirect losses, with more than 85% of the sector affected.
Crop production has declined sharply, undermining local food availability. The ministry reported that about 158,909 dunams of agricultural land, out of a total of 182,247 dunams, have been damaged, representing 87.1% of farmland.
Irrigation infrastructure has also been severely hit. Around 8,700 agricultural water wells have been rendered inoperable, while 3,828 water reservoirs have been damaged and approximately 1,371 kilometers of irrigation pipelines have been destroyed.
The livestock sector has sustained losses estimated at 90.3%, affecting more than 5,450 livestock farms and about 2,300 poultry farms.
According to the ministry, around 69,000 heads of livestock and 2.79 million birds have died, with damage to 28,400 beehives.
The fisheries sector has also been heavily impacted, with 1,674 fishing vessels damaged, as well as seven fish farms and around 450 dual-use ponds.
Gaza’s only fish hatchery has been destroyed.
Damage has extended to agricultural infrastructure, including 93 nurseries, 18 hatcheries, and 134 storage facilities, most of which have been almost destroyed.
Government agricultural facilities, veterinary laboratories, research stations, and water treatment units have also been severely affected, alongside extensive damage to fishermen’s ports and related services.
The ministry warned that the scale of destruction has led to near-total paralysis of agricultural production and a sharp deterioration in food security across Gaza.
Thousands of families have lost their primary sources of income, increasing reliance on humanitarian aid amid worsening living conditions.
It called on international organizations, UN agencies, and donor countries to take urgent action to support recovery efforts, rehabilitate infrastructure, and enable farmers, fishermen, and livestock breeders to resume production.
Earlier, the Government Media Office said the war, now exceeding 1,000 days, has caused initial direct losses estimated at around $80 billion.
These include $34 billion in housing, $6 billion in healthcare, and $6 billion in services and municipal infrastructure, in addition to heavy losses across other economic sectors due to the ongoing Israeli genocide.
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