Emergency Mapping Service of United Nations Satellite Center (EMS-UNOSAT)

UNOSAT’s Emergency Mapping Service (EMS), provides satellite image analysis during humanitarian emergencies related to disasters, complex emergencies and conflict situations. 

With a 24/7 year-round availability to process requests, the team of experienced analysts ensure timely and tailored delivery of satellite imagery-derived maps (both web and static maps), reports and data ready for direct inclusion in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for evidence-based decision-making and operational planning.

UNOSAT'S Crucial Contribution to FAO's Agricultural Monitoring in Gaza

In October 2023, UNOSAT and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) established an innovative collaboration to monitor and support Gaza's agricultural sector. By combining FAO's agricultural and geospatial expertise with UNOSAT's remote sensing and satellite imagery applications, this partnership created a breakthrough approach to agricultural assessments. 

UNOSAT's geospatial capabilities became FAO's crucial "window" into Gaza, providing satellite imagery analysis to support FAO’s Geospatial Unit, when direct observation on the ground was impossible. This analysis played a crucial role not only in FAO's response but also in informing critical food security assessments, including the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analyses and Famine Review Committee (FRC) reports.

UNOSAT's analysis leverages remote sensing techniques and satellite imagery collected by the Sentinel-2 satellite. The methodology uses imagery over seven consecutive years, performing a Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) analysis, as well as a multitemporal classification to identify notable changes taking place in cropland areas during that timeframe. 

FAO's and UNOSAT's collaboration has enabled continuous monitoring of the agricultural situation in Gaza. This approach involves comparing the current health and density of vegetation with historical averages, allowing for a comprehensive assessment of damage over time.

Cropland and Greenhouses Damage Assessment

Since October 2023, FAO and UNOSAT have conducted monthly geospatial assessments to monitor damage to cropland and agricultural infrastructure in Gaza. The team has, so far, utilized over 900 medium-resolution and very high-resolution satellite images to examine damage to agricultural infrastructure, greenhouses, and cropland.

The latest analysis, conducted in December 2024, shows that 75 per cent of cropland in the Gaza Strip now exhibits a significant decline in health and density compared to the 2017-2024 average.

The damage has worsened dramatically over 15 months: from affecting just 7 percent of cropland (10.2 km²) in October 2023 to 75 percent (113 km²) by December 2024. 

The impact varies across Gaza's governorates, with North Gaza experiencing the highest level of damage at 84 per cent of its agricultural area, followed by Gaza governorate at 80 per cent. Deir al-Balah, Khan Yunis, and Rafah governorates show damage levels of 75 per cent, 68 per cent, and 67 per cent respectively. This elevenfold increase represents damage to 113 km² of Gaza's total 150.53 km² agricultural area, highlighting the severe impact on the region's agricultural capacity.

The assessment also reveals extensive damage to greenhouse infrastructure across the Gaza Strip. As of December 2024, 5,660 greenhouses have been affected, with 4,578 completely destroyed, 439 severely damaged, and 643 moderately
damaged. This widespread destruction of protected agriculture facilities, which were vital for year-round crop production and food security, further compounds the impact on agricultural productivity.

Methodology Improvement

The collaboration between UNOSAT and FAO led to methodological improvements in calculating damaged cropland areas.  

UNOSAT's flexibility also allowed for the development of a tailored methodology that accommodates technical needs. This resulted in more accurate baseline information, particularly regarding land cover and crop information, further enhancing the value of the assessments.

The partnership between FAO and UNOSAT yielded several significant outcomes:

  • ENHANCED DECISION-MAKING AND SITUATIONAL AWARENESS

Satellite Imagery is an important tool to know what's happening on the ground in the Gaza Strip, explained by FAO technical expert.

Agricultural damage assessment became an important foundation for FAO's decision-making. FAO noted:

UNOSAT and FAO's joint products informed damage and loss assessments in the agricultural sector, advising a wide range of products across the office, including project proposals, situation reports, talking points, and responses to media inquiries

  • SUPPORTING FARMERS AND AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITIES

The analysis was crucial in assessing Gaza's remaining productive capacity and planning targeted interventions. FAO technical expert explained,

Based on the damage to the farms that was provided by the satellite analysis, we could get further and more accurate estimates on what is remaining and what we can do,  This information was crucial for FAO's response.

The detailed analysis helped FAO understand the specific challenges faced by different agricultural sectors. This allowed FAO to target its interventions more effectively.

  • ENHANCED COORDINATION AND RESOURCE ALLOCATION

UNOSAT's products have improved coordination among humanitarian actors by providing a common reference point for needs assessments and response planning. This has facilitated more effective resource allocation and targeted interventions. The collaboration strengthened FAO's position in interagency efforts.

The fact that we did have access to the analysis from satellite analysis [...] made it easier and more straightforward for us to take the lead as we are supposed to in the agricultural sector, an FAO technical expert explained. 

This was particularly evident in joint assessments with the World Bank and EU, initially published at the end of March 2024.

  • IMPROVED LONGER-TERM RECOVERY AND RESILIENCE PLANNING

While immediate relief was crucial, these assessments also contributed to longer-term planning. They have been instrumental in informing broader food security analyses, such as the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), particularly regarding vulnerable populations. 

FAO technical expert noted, 

The agricultural damage assessment results  were also largely used to inform the analysis for the different rounds of the IPC, and all of this, so the analysis on food insecurity is large famine in Gaza.

The monthly satellite-based monitoring of cropland and greenhouse damage enabled quantitative tracking of Gaza's declining agricultural production capacity, providing key metrics for food security projections. The IPC Acute Food Insecurity and Acute Malnutrition Special Snapshot (September 2024 - April 2025) reveals that 86 per cent of Gaza's analyzed population (1.84M people) are experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity. The assessment findings help identify populations facing critical nutrition challenges, including an estimated 60,000 children aged 6-59 months expected to face acute malnutrition and 16,500 pregnant and breastfeeding women requiring treatment between September 2024 and August 2025.

Looking Ahead

As the conflict in Gaza continues, the partnership between FAO and UNOSAT remains crucial. FAO technical expert stresses,

It's critical that we continue operating together in Palestine because the situation is changing daily. Therefore, updated information is crucial.

The FAO-UNOSAT joint effort in Gaza, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics” (PCBS), demonstrates the power of combining technical expertise in satellite imagery analysis with deep contextual knowledge of agriculture. 

In a crisis where traditional assessment methods are severely constrained, this partnership provides an invaluable joint effort, guiding humanitarian response and supporting the resilience of Gaza's agricultural sector.

While the full impact of this collaboration is still unfolding, it's clear that UNOSAT's satellite imagery analysis combined with FAO technical expertise has been a critical tool in FAO's response to the Gaza crisis. The provision of an ''eye in the sky'' has enabled more informed decisions, targeted interventions, and better support for agricultural communities affected by this complex emergency.

Lessons learned from this collaboration include the importance of exchanging knowledge, leveraging the strengths of each organization, and presenting unified results. This partnership model between expert teams could potentially be applied to future joint collaborations and assessments in other regions or complex emergencies, enhancing the overall effectiveness of humanitarian responses in the agriculture and food security sectors.
 

References

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