The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has provided 150 tons of essential animal feed to 2,450 livestock-raising families in the Gaza Strip, aiming to protect the remaining livestock and support local food production amid the looming threat of famine in the region.
This marks the first entry of animal feed into Gaza, which has been in dire need since the escalation of hostilities caused the collapse of agricultural food value chains, leading to a rapid deterioration in food security and reaching a critical stage, with indications of famine in the northern part of the territory.
Although Gaza’s agricultural sector was already in decline before the hostilities, it was vital to the local economy, according to a statement received today.
Before October 7, food producers in Gaza provided products that almost achieved self-sufficiency for the sector, including eggs, milk, poultry, red meat, fish, vegetables, and fruits, which are essential and indispensable in any healthy and nutritious diet, especially for children. Importing them to the sector as food aid became impractical.
Nearly 55% of meat and dairy-producing livestock in Gaza have been slaughtered, consumed, or lost due to the conflict. As of March, only 45% of small ruminants, equivalent to 30,000 head of livestock, remain.
Ciro Fiorillo, FAO head of office for the West Bank and Gaza Strip, said the scarcity of feed exposes livestock owners to significant risks, resulting in the complete loss of their essential assets, food source, nutrition, and income.
There are long-term consequences for each head of livestock spent, as it is prohibitively expensive to replace them due to import restrictions, according to Fiorillo.
The FAO aims to deliver a total of 1,500 tons of feed initially, enough to provide milk for approximately 50 days for all children in Gaza under the age of ten, or about 20% of the minimum calorie requirements recommended by the World Health Organization.
