Gaza farmer cultivates vegetables within tent settlement to endure yet another day of existence
In the war-torn Gaza Strip, the situation has reached a critical point, with access to food and aid dramatically deteriorating. This has resulted in a severe humanitarian crisis marked by famine-like conditions, widespread starvation, and a surge in malnutrition and hunger-related deaths.
According to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization, only 1.5% of the territory's farmland remains accessible and undamaged. Before the war, agriculture accounted for around 10% of the Gaza Strip's economy, but now, about a quarter of the population was at least partially supported by agriculture and fishing. However, local agrifood systems have collapsed, leaving people in Gaza struggling to sustain even basic livelihoods.
The crisis has been exacerbated by relentless conflict, destruction of infrastructure, displacement of people, and severe restrictions on aid delivery and distribution imposed by Israel. The situation is so dire that over one-third of Gaza’s population (39%) are going days without eating, and over 500,000 people—nearly a quarter of the population—are enduring famine-like conditions, facing the risk of death from starvation.
Acute malnutrition rates among children under five have quadrupled in some areas, reaching around 16.5%, with thousands suffering from severe acute malnutrition—the deadliest form of undernutrition. Hospitals are overwhelmed, having treated tens of thousands of children for acute malnutrition, and malnutrition-related deaths have surged, particularly in July 2025, with many children dying shortly after arrival at healthcare facilities.
The crisis stems from the Israel-Hamas war, which has killed at least 61,258 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. The Hamas attack that sparked the war resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, the majority of them civilians. Nearly three-quarters of the deaths occurred in the vicinity of GHF sites.
In the midst of this crisis, Abu Jabal, a 39-year-old displaced farmer, has created a vegetable garden in Gaza City. He relies on an erratic water supply to cultivate his garden, which is a patch of 120 square meters (about 1,300 square feet). Abu Jabal uses seeds from dried vegetables for his garden, which includes rows of tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers.
However, hunger-stricken Gazans are increasingly forced to brave chaotic scenes at a handful of distribution points managed by the Israel- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Abu Jabal is surrounded by tens of thousands of other Palestinians who have been displaced by the war. The situation is such that food and water are in precariously low supply. Only a trickle of food and other basic supplies has entered Gaza since Israel began easing the aid blockade in late May.
The crisis has put Israel under growing pressure to end the war in Gaza. The UN Secretary-General António Guterres described the situation as a "humanitarian catastrophe of epic proportions," stressing that the worst-case scenario of famine is unfolding in Gaza with no immediate reprieve in sight.
References: [1] UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) [2] World Food Programme (WFP) [3] United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) [4] United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) [5] The New York Times
- The severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza, marked by famine-like conditions, is partly attributed to the collapse of local agrifood systems and Israel's restrictions on aid delivery.
- In the midst of this dire situation, political tensions between Israel and Hamas continue to escalate, contributing to the persisting war and conflicts.
- While thousands of Gazans desperately seek food and water at distribution points, a displaced farmer named Abu Jabal has managed to create a small vegetable garden to sustain his family.
- Despite glimpses of resilience, such as Abu Jabal's garden, the struggling culture and lifestyle in Gaza are undeniably affected by war-torn infrastructure and the lack of food and drink resources.
- The home-and-garden aspect of daily life is further complicated for Gazans, making self-sufficiency difficult given the erratic water supply and damage to farmlands.
- Amid the humanitarian crisis, international organizations like the UN, WFP, UNICEF, and UNRWA have called for immediate action to alleviate the crisis and prevent further crime-and-justice issues, such as increase in theft and crime, as a result of starvation and desperation.
