High-Level FAO Delegation Inspects Agricultural Damage in Nabatieh

A high-level delegation from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) toured the Nabatieh Governorate, covering Nabatieh, Zibdin, and Froun, with the aim of closely examining the damage inflicted on the agricultural sector due to the war, and discussing recovery needs and ways to revive the agricultural sector and farmers' livelihoods.

The delegation included Beth Bechdol, Deputy Director-General of the FAO; AbdulHakim Elwaer, Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for the Near East and North Africa; Rein Paulsen, Director of the Office of Emergencies and Resilience; Veronica Quattrola, FAO Representative in Lebanon; along with a team from the organization in Lebanon.

The tour began with a visit to the Directorate of Agriculture in the Nabatieh Governorate, where the delegation was received by Hussein Al-Saqqa, Head of the Directorate of Agriculture in Nabatieh, alongside the Ministry of Agriculture's working team at the directorate.

The delegation reviewed the damage sustained by the directorate building as a result of the recent attack, inspected the conditions and work environment of the staff, and listened to an explanation on how the directorate continues to perform its duties and serve farmers despite the significant damage to the building and the absence of several essential facilities and resources.

Engineer Al-Saqqa also presented an overview of the reality of the agricultural sector in the Nabatieh Governorate and the damage affecting the Ministry of Agriculture centers, particularly the six centers that were destroyed, explaining the nature of services each center provided and its role in serving farmers and ensuring agricultural, extension, and veterinary services.

The delegation then moved to the town of Zibdin, where they visited the Al-Joud Women's Cooperative project, conducted a field inspection of the extent of destruction suffered by the project, and listened directly to the cooperative's women regarding the damage incurred and its impact on their productive activities and income sources.

The tour concluded in the town of Froun, where the delegation examined damaged agricultural lands and traces of fires and shelling in the area, including a site damaged by phosphorus shell bombardment. The delegation also visited an ancient olive grove containing trees approximately fifty years old, which suffered direct damage from a missile strike that created a large crater and destroyed several trees.

During the final stop, the delegation met with the landowner and the mayor of Froun, listening to their explanations about the scale of damage and the challenges facing farmers.

The tour served as an opportunity to convey a direct field picture to the FAO leadership regarding the extent of damage to the agricultural sector, Ministry of Agriculture institutions, productive projects, and farmers in the Nabatieh Governorate, highlighting the need to support recovery efforts and rehabilitate livelihoods and agricultural production in affected areas.