FAO warns of the risk of food insecurity in the Gaza Strip

The Council of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) yesterday adopted a unanimous resolution and consensus among member states on the Gaza Strip, in which it warned that the continued Israeli aggression on it will increase the destruction of land and agricultural facilities, putting 2.4 million people at risk of food insecurity.

WAFA reported that the resolution adopted by the council entitled “The situation in Gaza with regard to food security and related issues within the scope of the mandate of the organization” came during the special session to discuss the situation and developments in the Gaza Strip  resulting from the ongoing occupation aggression for the 251st day, during the 175th session of the Council of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations held in the Italian capital Rome from 10 to 14 June.

The resolution expressed great concern about the catastrophic situation in the Gaza Strip and its significant consequences for civilians, especially women and children, calling on the council to continue assessing the current situation in the Gaza Strip and its impact on the right to food and to continue providing technical assistance and agricultural inputs to the Strip.

The resolution stressed the need for joint action to address the health and food deterioration and its impact on food security in the Gaza Strip, emphasizing the need for continued readiness and support to ensure early recovery, reconstruction and rehabilitation in the Gaza Strip.

With regard to humanitarian assistance to the stricken strip, the resolution pointed out that the restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid and the limited distribution of humanitarian assistance deepen the risk of famine  if such access continues to be denied, stressing the urgent need to deliver the basic human life elements, especially food, water and medicine quickly and safely,  encourage the establishment of humanitarian corridors for this purpose, and prevent the displacement of Palestinians from their homes.

Regarding the attacks and crimes of Israeli settlers in the West Bank, the resolution expressed concern about the escalation of settlers’ violence against Palestinians, the seizure of Palestinian agricultural land, the damage to farms and vital stocks and the restriction of Palestinian access to their land in the West Bank, which in turn also affects food security.

For her part, the permanent representative of the state of Palestine to the United Nations organizations, Abeer Odeh, welcomed the adoption of the “FAO” resolution, stressing that it comes in light of the continuation of the war of genocide against the Palestinian people, targeting all the basic lifelines, which imposes the need for joint and serious work to implement what the resolution guarantees as a basic right of this people.

Amal Farhat