APN | Zoom

27 November 2024

APN General Manager, Mariam Al Jaajaa, stated that while there is widespread agreement that the occupation is committing a genocide in Gaza and that international organizations are largely absent, an essential question remains: where is the role of independent civil society organizations?

This was highlighted during her participation in a consultative workshop organized by Taawon (Welfare Association) on rebuilding Gaza’s food value chain. Al Jaajaa shared lessons learned from APN’s work in Gaza, where it reached 390 farmers in northern, central, and southern areas of the strip. She emphasized the importance of working pragmatically with on-the-ground realities rather than idealistic approaches, saying, “The priority is to deliver agricultural inputs directly to farmers, either from external sources or local suppliers”. APN has embraced this role since March, successfully cultivating 900 dunams with fast-growing crops.

Al Jaajaa pointed out that the risk of rehabilitating Gaza’s agricultural lands is far less than the risk of leaving people to die of hunger.

Regarding the rising cost of farming under current conditions, she stressed that the value of agriculture should not be measured against its pre-war costs but against its vital role in combating starvation.

She concluded by explaining that APN focuses on planting high-value food crops that can be stored and consumed fresh without cooking, thereby enhancing food security for local communities during these dire circumstances.