Farmers continue to face hardship months after Gaza war

Farmers in the Gaza Strip continue to suffer the consequences of massive losses incurred during Israel's military offensive last summer, a French humanitarian NGO said Thursday.

Première Urgence – Aide Médicale Internationale said that over 88 percent of crops provided to farmers by the group were damaged during the 51-day conflict, with farmers continuing to suffer from access restrictions and violations of International Humanitarian Law.

A survey of 285 farmers conducted by the group found that 84 percent assessed had been forced to take out loans to cope with the loss of income incurred by damage to their land.

"Before 2005, I used to have greenhouses here where I grew tomatoes and I used to earn good money exporting these tomatoes to the West Bank, Israel and abroad," farmer Amona Ahmed Abu Rejalaa, from Khuza, told PU-AMI.

"Since the imposition of access restrictions in 2005 and the blockade in 2007, the situation has been totally different. Exportation is not allowed, access is limited and risky (as we often hear warning shots and have to leave), (…), and we are left with very low income and increasing debts."

Nearly 87 percent of irrigation systems were damaged during the war, the group said, and the high cost of water means most farmers cannot afford to irrigate their crops. more

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