Translated by Sabrin Qadah

The workshop discussed the extent of food insecurity crisis in the Gaza Strip, where an estimated percentage of households experiencing food insecurity is nearly half of the households in the sector, and the percentage of households receiving humanitarian aid, including food aids, is around 80%.

The Palestinian Economic Policy Research Institute (MAS) held in Ramallah and the Gaza Strip yesterday, the fourth specialized workshop within a series of consultative meetings between the active partners in facing the challenges of food and nutrition security in Palestine. The institute conducts that in the frame of strategic review, which is being implemented in collaboration with the WFP and in close coordination with the national government and private institutions concerned. The fourth workshop was allocated for consultation between MAS experts’ team in Ramallah and a group of representatives of active Palestinian institutions in the Gaza Strip through video conference technology.

Tthrough interactive dialogue, the most prominent aspects of the food security crisis in the Gaza Strip were highlighted, which are the result of restrictions of Israeli security measures on the Gaza Strip. That includes the closure of fertile agricultural areas, limiting the fishing area, in addition to the impact of the blockade on access to agricultural and industrial inputs necessary for production and economic growth, which can contribute to the alleviation of food insecurity and increasing the ability of households to survive and get out of the cycle of poverty, hunger and unemployment.