ABNA24 - Losses of the agricultural sector in the Gaza Strip reached about 3.49 billion dollars, as a result of the widespread destruction left by the Israeli war of genocide, which led to a near-total collapse in the agricultural productive infrastructure and damage to more than 85% of the sector’s components.
The Ministry of Agriculture reported, in a statement issued on Monday, that the total losses of the agricultural sector were estimated at about 3.49 billion US dollars, distributed between 1.9 billion dollars in direct damages, and 1.59 billion dollars in indirect damages.
It explained that the plant production sector suffered a sharp decline in crop production, which reflected on the ability to provide local food, after about 158,909 dunums out of 182,247 dunums were damaged, with a total damage rate of 87.1%.
It emphasized that the war caused a near-total collapse in the agricultural irrigation system, after about 8,700 agricultural water wells went completely out of service, in addition to the damage of 3,828 agricultural water ponds, and the destruction of 1,371 kilometers of agricultural water transmission lines.
The Ministry indicated that the livestock production sector recorded a damage rate of 90.3%, including damage to more than 5,450 ruminant farms and about 2,300 poultry farms.
It added that the war resulted in the death of 69,000 head of ruminant animals and 2.79 million birds, as well as damage to 28,400 beehives.
It pointed out that the fisheries sector was not immune to the effects of the aggression, as 1,674 marine fishing vessels, seven fish farming farms, and about 450 dual-use ponds were damaged, in addition to the destruction of the only fish hatchery in the Strip.
It noted that the damage extended to the agricultural infrastructure, and included 93 agricultural nurseries, 18 hatcheries, and 134 agricultural storage refrigerators that were almost completely destroyed.
The damage also affected government centers, veterinary laboratories, experimental stations, and water treatment stations, along with the severe destruction caused to fishermen’s facilities, ports, and related service infrastructure.
The Ministry stressed that this unprecedented destruction led to a near-total paralysis in the agricultural production system, and a sharp decline in the level of food security for the residents of the Gaza Strip.
It warned that thousands of families lost their sources of income as a result of the destruction of agricultural activities, leading to an increased dependence on humanitarian and relief aid in light of the worsening living conditions.
The Ministry called on international community institutions, UN agencies, and donors to take urgent action to support the recovery and rehabilitation of the agricultural sector, rehabilitate its infrastructure, and enable farmers, fishermen, and livestock breeders to resume production.
The Government Media Office had previously announced that the ongoing Israeli war on the Gaza Strip for more than 1,000 days has caused initial direct losses estimated at about 80 billion dollars, distributed as 34 billion dollars in the housing sector, six billion dollars in the health sector, and six billion dollars in the services and municipalities sector, in addition to heavy losses in various economic and productive sectors.
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