NGOs: “Israel” is Destroying Gaza Agriculture

Over 60 percent of Gaza households are food insecure as a result of the ongoing "Israeli" blockade, the Association of International Development Agencies (AIDA) said Tuesday.

AIDA, which represents over 80 NGOs, called on "Israel" for "full and unfettered access into and out of the Gaza Strip for materials and exports necessary for revival of the agriculture and fishing sectors."

As Gaza's population becomes increasingly dependent on aid, the organizations urged "Israel" to implement immediate measures, which include the entry of agricultural input materials needed for reconstruction.

In addition, AIDA called on "Israel" to allow the entry of material required to "enable significant upgrades to Gaza's wastewater treatment infrastructure to address environmental concerns in order to avoid additional contamination of agricultural land; and to create an alternative source of water for irrigation."

In the absence of such improvements, the entire fishing and farming sectors in the Gaza Strip are at risk of collapse, AIDA wrote.

A rapid recovery of the fishing sector will reinstate the local population's access to affordable fresh foods, as food insecurity currently threatens the health and wellbeing of the population, the statement read.

Moreover, for Gaza's agricultural sector to succeed, Palestinians require "access to materials necessary to prevent long-term damage to soil, stemming from the uncontrolled dumping of sewage, salination, unexploded ordinance and other contamination," Philippe Lazzarini said, the acting Humanitarian Coordinator in the occupied Palestinian territories.