Jerusalem /Cairo – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is delivering 150 tonnes, out of a total of 1500 tonnes, of animal fodder to 2 450 livestock-keeping households in the Gaza Strip to safeguard surviving animals and support local production of fresh nutritious food like milk, dairy, eggs and meat amidst an imminent risk of famine.
This is the first time much-needed animal fodder has entered the Strip since the escalation of hostilities, which has caused the collapse of agrifood value chains, contributing to rapid deterioration of acute food insecurity in Gaza, with famine conditions emerging in the north.
The agriculture sector was already diminished pre-war yet remained vital to the local economy. Prior to 7 October, Gaza’s food producers kept the Strip nearly self-sufficient in eggs, milk, poultry and red meat, fish, vegetables and fruits. These items are indispensable to a healthy, nutritious diet, especially for children, and are impractical to import as food aid.
Around 55 percent of meat and dairy producing livestock in Gaza have been slaughtered, consumed, or lost due to the conflict. Only 45 percent of small ruminants remain, co