West Bank: 72 000 families urgently require emergency agricultural assistance, new FAO survey finds | FAO News

Jerusalem/Cairo – More than 72 000 farming & herding families in the West Bank – nearly two-thirds of all agricultural families – urgently require emergency agricultural assistance, according to a new survey published today by the Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 

The survey shows that about 90 percent of West Bank agricultural families have recently lost income, driven by sharp declines in crop & livestock production & sales. These estimates are based on FAO’s Data in Emergencies (DIEM) survey for the West Bank, conducted from July–August 2025.

Agriculture remains a vital lifeline. Of the approximately 700 000 families living in the West Bank (according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics), an estimated 115 000 depend on agriculture for their livelihoods, making the sector central to food security & income.

“The results of FAO’s DIEM survey – the second conducted in the West Bank this year – are clear. Agricultural families urgently need assistance – both cash & in-kind – to mitigate the impacts of widespread settler violence, a deepening economic crisis & near-ubiquitous loss of income,” said Rein Paulsen, Director of FAO’s Office of Emergencies & Resilience.

Funded by the European Union, the DIEM is one of the most comprehensive assessments of the escalating impacts of the Gaza Strip conflict on West Bank farming & herding families. More than 1 500 families were surveyed, including crop producers, livestock holders & families who rely on both farming & herding.

The survey highlights the mounting pressures facing rural families. Nearly nine in ten agricultural West Bank families – or about 100 000 agricultural households – have recently experienced at least one acute “shock”. The most common shocks reported by families were conflict & violence, rising living costs, & job loss.

Many families previously relied on off-farm work to supplement their incomes. Before October 2023, 41 percent of respondents worked in Israel or Israeli settlements. Of these, 91 percent lost their jobs following the conflict’s outbreak, & less than half have since found alternative work – mostly in agriculture – at a time when farming itself has become increasingly difficult.

Families also reported limited access to water, movement restrictions & land access constraints, lack of available & affordable agricultural inputs, & high fuel & transport costs.

Despite these challenges, agriculture remains one of the most effective pathways for families to access food & income.

“Ensuring conflict-affected farmers & herders receive timely emergency agricultural support to resume their productive capacities & restore agricultural production is one of the fastest & most effective ways to help families recover. Seeds & fertilizers, drought tolerant crops, veterinary kits, water tanks, animal shelters & dairy processing tools are urgently needed to sustain livelihoods & safeguard productive assets. Unimpeded humanitarian access must be granted to ensure assistance reaches families without delay, & sufficient funding is essential to prevent households from sliding deeper into crisis,” said Paulsen.