A new report from the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the UN Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) indicates that only three percent of the Gaza Strip’s cropland remains both accessible and undamaged. This assessment points to a near-total loss of agricultural productivity across the territory.

The report identifies the areas of Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis as experiencing the most significant declines in arable land. According to the UN agencies, this reduction in farmland is primarily linked to the westward expansion of the “Yellow Line,” a buffer zone that separates the designated ceasefire zone from other areas. The report suggests that the physical infrastructure of the agricultural sector has been severely compromised, leaving farmers unable to reach or cultivate the vast majority of their land.

While the report provides a clear statistical overview of the damage, it focuses primarily on the environmental and logistical constraints currently facing Gaza’s food production systems. The findings underscore the long-term challenges for food security in the region, as the destruction of cropland limits the ability of local populations to sustain themselves through domestic agriculture.