Gaza farmers try to bring life back to destroyed farmland

After their return to the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, east of Gaza City, Tayseer and his family, along with other farmers, began the journey of reviving their agricultural lands that were extensively damaged during the war.

With limited resources and support from early recovery projects implemented by the United Nations Development Programme, they are trying to restore their livelihood and restart agricultural activity in the region.

Our correspondent in Gaza accompanied the Director of the United Nations Development Program during his tour to inspect agricultural lands in the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, east of Gaza City, where he learned about early recovery efforts and the restoration of agricultural activity.

The reconstruction journey with limited capabilities

Tayseer Al-Dahdouh says that his farm was spread over an area of ​​two and a half acres and included greenhouses for growing tomatoes and cucumbers, but it lost most of its equipment and production components as a result of the damage it sustained during the war. He added that the destruction affected agricultural facilities, equipment, irrigation hoses, and property, stressing that his source of income was greatly affected.

He added: “I had land that included two and a half dunams of agricultural greenhouses, and I used to grow tomatoes and cucumbers, and my financial income was good before the war. Suddenly, we had nothing left. Even the iron structures of the greenhouses were gone, as were the residential buildings, our possessions, and even the hoses for transporting agricultural water. We don’t have anything left.”

Al-Dahdouh explained that he and his family members returned to the land after displacement, and began rehabilitation efforts with simple means, as they were able to reclaim part of it in preparation for the resumption of agriculture.

He continued, saying: “After our return from displacement, we tried to reconstruct the land again using primitive tools, with the participation of our children and women, and we were able to reclaim about one dunam of our land, in order to restore life to it.”

His wife, Wajeha Al-Dahdouh, participates in the work in the replanted field, but she says that the lack of basic resources still represents a challenge to the continuation of agricultural production.

She said: “We returned again to support ourselves and return to agriculture in order to live, but unfortunately there is not enough water, no agricultural fertilizers, and no agricultural seeds.”

International efforts to help farmers

Attempts to restore agricultural activity come at a time when Gaza faces a widespread crisis in basic sectors, including food, water and infrastructure, after months of war that caused significant damage to agricultural lands and facilities related to food production.

Alessandro Mrakić, Director of the United Nations Development Program in the Gaza Strip, said during his inspection of recovery projects in the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood that the extent of the destruction in the area reflects the magnitude of the challenges facing the returning residents.

He added: “Behind me and around me you can see the extent of the devastation. All the buildings in this area were completely destroyed. The families who lived here had to be displaced and move many times, and recently, with the ceasefire, they returned to the area.”

Mrakić explained that the United Nations Development Programme, in cooperation with partners, began providing support to returning families, including securing relief housing units and helping to restore agricultural activity in the region.

And he said: “Here the role of the United Nations Development Programme, in cooperation with all partners, began. We provided 200 relief housing units to provide shelter for the families who returned, and they began, as you can see behind me, to resume agricultural activity, as they began cultivating and producing eggplants, tomatoes, mallows, and other crops. This represents, without a doubt, a glimmer of hope for the future. These people have begun to rebuild their lives again.”

A step in the right direction

The Director of the United Nations Development Program indicated that early recovery efforts aim to restore the necessities of life and help residents restore their sources of income, despite the continuing great humanitarian needs.

He went on to say: “We are still far from providing a decent life, but this is a correct step in the right direction. This is what we call early recovery. Although the humanitarian needs are still enormous, we are starting again, by re-providing shelter and restoring the necessities of life. This project has also become a source of livelihood for them, as they will be able to sell their agricultural products in local markets, providing them with an income that will open up better opportunities for them in the future.”

A new olive tree symbolizes hope

Data from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the United Nations Development Program indicate that the extensive damage to infrastructure and productive sectors in the Gaza Strip has made early recovery efforts an essential part of the humanitarian response, in addition to the continued need for emergency assistance.

United Nations agencies confirm that rehabilitating agricultural lands and supporting livelihoods are a major focus in the post-emergency phase, as they are essential factors in reducing dependence on aid and enhancing families’ resilience.

In the Zaytoun neighborhood, farmers and United Nations Development Program officials planted a new olive tree, in a scene that symbolizes an attempt to restore agricultural activity in an area that still bears traces of widespread destruction.