With famine looming, FAO urges immediate access to save livelihoods and food production

Rome – With the imminent risk of famine, agriculture on the brink of total collapse, and the possible outbreak of deadly epidemics in Gaza, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) calls for immediate restoration of humanitarian access and the lifting of blockades.

The urgent call comes in response to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis issued today warning that the entire population of the Gaza Strip – approximately 2.1 million people – is facing a critical risk of famine following 19 months of conflict, mass displacement, and severe restrictions on humanitarian aid.

According to the report, between 1 April – 10 May 2025, 93 per cent of the population, which translates to 1.95 million people, were classified in Crisis or worse (IPC Phase 3 or above), including 244,000 people, or 12 percent of the population, in IPC Phase 5 (Catastrophe), and 925,000 (44 percent) in IPC Phase 4 (Emergency).

For the projection period from 11 May to the end of September 2025, the entire population in Gaza is expected to face Crisis or worse acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above).

“The international community must act now. The immediate restoration of access to humanitarian and commercial supplies at scale is critical. Every delay deepens hunger and accelerates starvation, bringing us closer to famine,” said FAO Director-General QU Dongyu.

“If we fail to act, we are failing to uphold the right to food, which is a basic human right and the legal protections that uphold it, undermining one of the core principles safeguarding civilian survival.”

Livestock restoration

Reestablishing immediate humanitarian access is critical to maintaining minimum local food production, particularly of livestock. Despite efforts from FAO – having already distributed over 2,100 tons of animal feed and veterinary kits to more than 4 800 herders in Gaza –, current supplies fall far short of growing needs. More veterinary kits, animal feed, and other supplies are ready to be deployed by FAO and partners as soon as access is granted.

Commercial production of livestock has largely ceased, with most operations now limited to household-level production for self-consumption. Even with drastically reduced livestock numbers – sheep down to 36 percent, goats to 39 percent, cattle to 3.8 percent, layers and broilers to 1.4 percent, and working animals to 79.5 percent – these remaining animals are vital for household food security. For many families, they provide the last accessible source of milk, eggs, and meat.

Following the ban on all humanitarian and commercial inputs, an additional 20 to 30 percent of livestock are predicted to have perished. Preserving the remaining animals now is essential to prevent irreversible losses that could collapse livestock-dependent livelihoods entirely.

Without feed and veterinary kits, not only do herders lose these critical food sources, but untreated animals also pose serious public health risks by becoming vectors for disease, particularly for those working closely with animals. Immediate access is essential to prevent further losses, maintain basic nutrition, and safeguard public health.

Agriculture on the brink of collapse

Before October 2023, around 42 percent of Gaza’s land (over 15 000 hectares) was used for crops, orchards, and livestock grazing. But a geospatial assessment carried out by FAO and UNOSAT between October and December 2024 reveals that 75 percent of fields once used to grow crops and olive tree orchards have been damaged or destroyed.

More than two-thirds of Gaza’s agricultural wells (1 531 in total), which rely on groundwater for irrigation and agriculture, were no longer functional as of early 2025, severely debilitating irrigation efforts.

A new FAO-UNOSAT assessment is under way and early indications suggest a further reduction in usable agricultural land, leaving little space to preserve or restore livelihoods.

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