More than half of Gaza’s agricultural land, vital for sustaining the territory’s food supply, has been severely degraded by the ongoing Israeli war, according to satellite images analyzed by the United Nations on June 13, 2024.
The data, released on Thursday, highlights a significant increase in the destruction of orchards, field crops, and vegetables in the Palestinian enclave. This destruction exacerbates widespread hunger following eight months of intense Israeli bombardment.
The World Health Organization (WHO) issued a dire warning on Wednesday, stating that many people in Gaza are facing “catastrophic hunger and famine-like conditions.”
The United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) used satellite imagery from May 2017 to 2024 to analyze the damage.
Their findings reveal that 57 percent of Gaza’s permanent crop fields and arable lands, crucial for food security, have experienced a significant decline in density and health.
“In May 2024, crop health and density across Gaza showed a marked decline compared to the average of the previous seven seasons,” UNOSAT reported. “This deterioration is attributed to conflict-related activities, including razing, heavy vehicle movement, bombing, and shelling.”
The analysis indicated a 30 percent increase in damaged agricultural land since the last report in April.
Israel’s ongoing ground and air assault, which began on October 7, has resulted in over 37,000 deaths in Gaza and has caused extensive destruction, blocking aid routes.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted that more than 8,000 children under five years old in Gaza have been treated for acute malnutrition.
UNOSAT also reported significant damage to greenhouses across Gaza, further compromising the territory’s food production.
Gaza encompasses approximately 151 square kilometers of agricultural land, constituting about 41 percent of the coastal enclave’s territory, according to UNOSAT data.
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