The Gaza Strip is facing a catastrophic agricultural collapse, with a new United Nations report revealing that less than 5% of its farmland remains arable following relentless Israeli bombardment since October 2023. The devastation marks a near-total destruction of Gaza’s once-thriving agrifood system, plunging over two million people deeper into hunger and despair.

According to the report, compiled by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the UN Satellite Centre, repeated airstrikes and artillery fire have wiped out 95% of Gaza’s cultivated fields, including olive groves—long considered a symbol of Palestinian resilience. Beth Bechdol, FAO Deputy Director-General, described the destruction as “a collapse of lifelines,” not merely infrastructure loss.

The war has rendered over two-thirds of agricultural wells unusable, severely limiting access to irrigation water and crippling what little capacity remains for local food production. Bechdol stressed that a ceasefire is urgently needed—not only to halt the violence but also to deliver aid and begin early recovery efforts to prevent full-scale famine.

Antoine Renard, head of the World Food Programme in Palestine, stated that WFP teams have managed to operate 13 bakeries in Gaza’s south and distribute hot meals, but these efforts remain vastly inadequate given the scale of destruction.

Beyond the fields, the broader landscape is in ruins. A separate UN assessment estimates that removing more than 50 million tons of rubble could take up to 21 years and cost $1.2 billion. The rebuilding of homes alone may extend into 2040. One UN Development Programme official underscored the gravity of the moment, stating that the war has effectively erased 69 years of progress in Gaza.

What is unfolding in Gaza is not only a humanitarian crisis but an engineered collapse of a people’s ability to feed, house, and sustain themselves. With famine looming, the urgency for international action has never been greater.