UNOSAT code: CE20231007PSE This map illustrates satellite-detected changes in agricultural areas of the Gaza Strip resulting from the decline in the health and density of crops due to the ongoing conflict. UNOSAT conducted an analysis utilising satellite imagery collected by the Sentinel-2 satellite between January 2018 and 2024, performing a Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) analysis as well as a multi-temporal classification to identify notable changes taking place in agricultural areas during that time frame. The methodology evaluated the damage as a substantial decline in the health and density of crops in January 2024, in comparison to the preceding six seasons spanning from 2018 to 2024. The decline in the health and density of the crops can be observed due to the impact of activities such as razing, heavy vehicle activity, bombing, shelling, and other conflict-related dynamics. The analysis includes damage assessment for permanent crop fields, arable land, and fallow lands. UNOSAT analysis shows that the agricultural extent in the Gaza Strip is estimated to be 178 sq. km, accounting for approximately 49% of the total area of Gaza, following an extensive land cover analysis. Compared to the average of the previous six years, approximately 34% of the permanent crop fields and arable land
in the Gaza Strip exhibited a significant decline in health and density in January 2024. Crop analysis shows that 21% of the arable land has been damaged. Furthermore, the analysis shows that there has been a significant increase in damage to the permanent crop fields and arable land in the Deir al-Balah Governorate, with around 56% of its agricultural land being impacted. Additionally, there has been an increase in agricultural land damage in the Khan Yunis Governorate, rising from 3% to 14% between imagery collected in December 2023 and January 2024. This is a preliminary analysis and has not yet been validated in the field.
