The recent escalation of violence in the Gaza Strip has affected nearly 1.8 million people. The livelihoods of farmers, herders and fishers were devastated by the seven-week conflict and thousands of families lost their daily sources of income and nutrition. Many of them are now unable to access or afford the basic inputs needed to resume production. 

According to preliminary estimates by the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture, the agriculture sector suffered over USD 500 million in damages. The hostilities resulted in substantial direct damage to Gaza’s 3 200 hectares of cropland and much of its agricultural infrastructure, including greenhouses, irrigation systems, animal farms, fodder stocks and fishing boats. Within this context the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture will launch a two year recovery aimed at urgently redeveloping the Agricultural Sector in Palestine. 

The Plan was presented and discussed by the Palestinian Minister of Agriculture, Issa Shawki, in Ramallah on 5 November, 2014. 

Partners from the private sector and the civil society took active part in the important discussions