Less than 5pc of Gaza’s cropland useable

Less than 5 percent of Gaza's cropland can be cultivated due to damage and access restrictions, "exacerbating the risk of famine in the area", according to a UN assessment published yesterday.

"This level of destruction is not just a loss of infrastructure – it is a collapse of Gaza's agrifood system and of lifelines," said Beth Bechdol, Deputy Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization which produced the assessment alongside the UN Satellite Centre.

Before the Israel-Hamas war began over 19 months ago, Gazan farmers cultivated a range of crops including citrus fruits, dates and olives, despite the area being among the most densely populated in the world.

Now, half a million people face starvation, according to a global hunger monitor, amid Israeli restrictions on food imports after an 11-week blockade. In total, just 688 hectares, or 4.6 percent of the total, is available for cultivation, the UN assessment said.

It showed that more than 80 percent of Gaza's cropland had been damaged in the war. A total of 77.8 percent is not accessible, the statement said.