Food crisis in Gaza

IRIN (Feb. 19): "Thousands of food-insecure Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are facing an even worse situation after large numbers of livestock and agricultural land were badly damaged or destroyed during Israel’s military assault, which began on 27 December. Chicken and meat are now very costly or unavailable, while fresh fruit and vegetables will be unavailable by May due to destroyed crops, according to the World Food Programme (WFP) in Gaza. Some 1,200 ha – 18 percent of Gaza’s total agricultural lands, including orchards of citrus fruits and olives – were destroyed, said Al-Khatib, as was 17 percent of vegetable land, including greenhouses, creating a 30 percent gap in Gaza’s food security. Around 200 ground-water wells were destroyed and 53 partially destroyed, of a total 2,300 water wells serving Gaza’s agricultural lands, said Al-Khatib. Gaza’s agricultural sector grew after the Islamist movement Hamas took control in June 2007 and since the 18-month blockade, most of the production has been sold on the local market. In 2008 about 14,000 families were considered subsistence farmers, while 60,000 people were agricultural workers, according to UNDP. Agricultural production and fishing comprised nearly 10 percent of Gaza’s economy. " Read more.