The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has warned about an unprecedented humanitarian and agricultural catastrophe unfolding in the Gaza Strip. According to the FAO's latest annual report, less than 5 percent of agricultural land remains arable, as over 80 percent of cultivated areas have been ravaged by ongoing conflict.

The report highlights that about 70 percent of agricultural greenhouses have been obliterated, and the majority of wells have sustained damage, severely restricting access to water and resulting in a near-complete collapse of Gaza's local production system.

Gaza now relies almost entirely on humanitarian aid to meet its food requirements, with the FAO cautioning that continued restrictions on the entry of agricultural supplies and fuel could lead to widespread famine in the near future. The report reveals that 90 percent of Gaza's population lacks sufficient access to food, with vegetable and grain production slashed to less than half of its levels from two years ago. The fishing sector, too, has suffered extensive damage, exacerbated by ongoing restrictions.

The FAO has classified the Gaza Strip as one of the four worst food crises worldwide for 2024-2025, alongside Sudan, Yemen, and Afghanistan. The organization is calling for an urgent, comprehensive response that includes food security, water, health, and emotional support to avert a full-scale humanitarian collapse in the region.