(AGENPARL) – Fri 31 October 2025 [NewsMedia_NewsRelease]
Gaza Strip: Ceasefire opens window for rehabilitation as over a third of cropland becomes accessible
New FAO-UNOSAT analysis findings show increased damage to cropland, greenhouses, and agricultural wells
31/10/2025
Despite the continued scale of damage, the analysis also indicates that 37 percent of the damaged cropland in the Gaza Strip is now physically accessible for rehabilitation and cultivation. Within these accessible areas, approximately 600 hectares of land remain undamaged, presenting an opportunity to rebuild food production and support livelihoods.
Damage to cropland has been increasing throughout 2025, rising from around 80 percent in April to 86 percent in July, and reaching 87 percent in late September. This trend reflects the ongoing and repeated destruction of agricultural land and assets. An upward trend has also been observed regarding damage to greenhouses, increasing from 71 percent in April to 80 percent in October. The Gaza Governorate has suffered total losses, while North Gaza has experienced nearly complete destruction.
With the current ceasefire, the accessible areas for greenhouses have also increased by 17 percent—providing a concrete foundation for FAO recovery efforts.
Additionally, damage to agricultural wells, which are vital for irrigation, has worsened – from 83 percent in April to almost 87 percent in late September – further impacting Gaza’s capacity to sustain crop and livestock production.
“As satellite imagery shows, the scale of agricultural land destruction in Gaza has severely undermined the area’s ability to produce food,” said FAO Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol. “However, the ceasefire has opened a window of opportunity. Urgent support is needed to rehabilitate agricultural land and infrastructure, enable farmers to resume fresh food production, and rebuild the fisheries and livestock sectors, as restoring these systems is essential to protecting livelihoods and ensuring families can feed themselves,” she added.
While FAO is preparing to engage in a broader cross-sectoral rehabilitation effort, its 2025 Flash Appeal for $75 million for the Gaza Strip is currently only 10 percent funded, underscoring the urgent need for additional resources to rebuild livelihoods.
Key findings: extensive destruction across all agricultural assets
The new analysis shows damage to all major agricultural categories: cropland, greenhouses, wells, and agricultural infrastructure.
Cropland: Nearly 87 percent of total cropland has been damaged. The governorates of North Gaza and Gaza City recorded the highest proportional damage – 94 and 91 percent respectively –while Khan Younis had the largest total affected area, exceeding 3 500 hectares.
Cropland types: Damage is severe across all crop categories, including orchards and trees (89 percent), field crops (88 percent) and vegetables (80 percent). The olive orchard category was the most affected (90 percent).
Greenhouses: Nearly 80 percent of all greenhouses have been damaged, equivalent to over 1 000 hectares lost across the Gaza Strip governorates, including Deir al-Balah, Gaza, Khan Yunis, Northern Gaza and Rafah. In the Gaza governorate, 100 percent of greenhouses were destroyed, while North Gaza recorded 99.8 percent damage.
Agricultural wells: Almost 87 percent of agricultural wells have been damaged, disrupting vital irrigation systems.
Agricultural infrastructure: The most affected facilities include poultry farms (962 damaged), home barns (924), and sheep farms (689), with Khan Younis registering the highest number of damaged structures.
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Irina Utkina
FAO News and Media (Rome)
FAO News and Media
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