It was a sobering moment when in the summer of 2025, famine was declared in parts of Gaza. This is a fertile region with a strong agricultural heritage, once a major exporter of oranges and olives, with a strong horticulture sector, extensive glasshouses and arable lands.

But the recent war has put an end to that. Aerial photography shows how farming has been devastated. The UN reported in October 2025 that only 4% of farmland was in good condition and accessible, and in some areas, over half the population depends on humanitarian aid for food.

Food imports to Gaza meanwhile are restricted. Food crosses the border only in limited amounts, meaning that prices are very high, and what is allowed through does not make for a balanced diet. Protein and fresh produce are scarce, with disproportionate quantities of luxury items like sweets and biscuits.

The challenge of food distribution

Hala Sabbah, who is based in London, is one of the three Palestinian founders of the Sameer Project, a mutual aid initiative which for two years has been collecting donations and sending them to Gaza. Employing a team who work on the ground and know the area well, they use the funds to buy goods commercially within the Strip and make them available to the people most in need: water, food, tents, medical supplies and much else.

Their food work centres on a kitchen in Gaza City, which can supply 3000 meals a day and makes a point of cooking food that people will enjoy, bringing dignity and good nutrition to people on the edge of survival.

But their vision goes further than putting food on tables and responding to crisis. They hold a vision of a sustainable and thriving society in Gaza, and that is the basis of their partnership with the Arab Group for the Protection of Nature, APN. The goal is not just food security – having enough of the right sort of food, at affordable prices – but food sovereignty, a whole system of production and distribution that serves communities and is chosen by them.

Growing food under occupation

APN’s Lisa Shahin, who is based in Jordan, explains how they started with a group of agricultural engineers in 2000 during the second Intifada. A voluntary organisation supported by donations from around the world, APN has a long history of championing farmers in Palestine, standing for them through successive crises and putting them at the heart of the food system.

Their work is very varied. They have built water tanks and greenhouses and they have supplied inputs from fishing nets and sheep, to seeds, tree seedlings and beehives. They have responded to the destruction of olive groves with the slogan “uproot one, plant ten” all in the name of supporting Palestinians to maintain their farming heritage and build a self-reliant nation.

In 2024 their campaign Revive Gaza’s Farmland began, with the aim of boosting food production “from the besieged farmer to the besieged family.” This has included support for horticultural production, the restoration of wells, and the distribution of beehives and fruit trees. They have also started wheat growing and produced training materials on seed saving.

Given the challenges of joining up the components of a food system, which often have different priorities, it was particularly interesting to hear Hala and Lisa talk about their collaboration, which works as well as it does because of their shared values.

“We both are doing aid as resistance, we both do our work with the vision of the liberation of Palestine and we both don’t take money from governments,” says Hala, explaining how they first talked to APN about rebuilding the food system in Gaza after the February 2025 ceasefire. They were unable to realise this ambition because of the return of hostilities, but they continued to do small projects together when they could.

“What’s special about APN is that they’ve had this relationship for decades. It’s not like they just started working in Gaza during the genocide, they have been doing this work for a very long time, so they understand the context, they have a team there,” says Hala.

Lisa in turn values the importance of working directly and creatively with communities, bypassing the restrictions that aid agencies face.

“Throughout the past two years, not a single seed has entered into Gaza, not a single water pipe has entered,” she says. “Initiatives like the Sameer Project who are working directly with the communities, procuring locally from the inside, finding a way around all the obstacles, this is what matters. Sameer are very diverse and they are always responding to an actual need on the ground.”

The two organisations are determined to continue their work in the face of difficulties, inspired by a vision of a free Palestine. Sameer for instance has seen donations drop since last year’s ceasefire, and needs to raise more funding so it can run its kitchen at full capacity. Lisa quotes the FAO estimate of at least 6000 dunams (600 ha) of cultivatable land in Gaza and thinks they could produce 30 million kg of fresh produce in a year, making a significant contribution to nutrition.

There are parallels as well as big differences between Wales and Gaza. Community is community, and there are many people here who are feeding people who are hungry, growing more food in ecologically sound ways, and maintaining our agricultural heritage. If by raising both funding and awareness we can contribute towards the development of a healthy food system in Gaza, we can gain inspiration for our own work.

A group in Wales is setting up a link to raise money for food and farming in Gaza, and also to share stories and learning. Read more about Palestine Cymru Food Solidarity. You can make your donation here.

Images: Sameer Project and APN.