Almost half of the agricultural land in Gaza has been destroyed, and recovery could take years, an expert studying satellite images told CNN on Monday.
“What we see from the satellite data is really, really devastating,” He Yin, an assistant professor of geography at Kent State University in Ohio, told CNN’s Michael Holmes.
He said they spotted craters, bulldozer tracks, and signs of burning in the satellite images.
“Almost more than half of the agricultural land was completely destroyed.”
He said Gazans had already relied on aid and imports due to insufficient land for farming before the war.
“With almost half of the agricultural land gone, the situation can only be more grave,” he said.
“I seriously have no words for this.”
He also warned of years-long repercussions for farmers.
“It’s not like if the war ends right now, the farmers can go back, they can plant trees and harvest next year,” he said.
“You can imagine even if the war stops now, tonight, there is still no way to reconstruct the agriculture sector,” said He. “It’s a long-term impact.”
