On the threshold of 2008, the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip reached an unprecedented state of decline and collapse, and by the end of 2008 the Israeli aggression increased the tragedy and deepened the deterioration of all life aspects of one and a half million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Between the beginning and the tragic end which has been by far the worst catastrophe since the June 1967 war, Palestinians continued to suffer under the imposed blockade, the closure of crossings, internal division, significant decline in freedoms and human rights and continued Israeli attacks.

By the end of 2007, the World Bank warned of an imminent collapse of the Palestinian economy and the private sector if the policy of closures and siege continued; and added that allowing humanitarian aid materials to enter Gaza Strip is important but not sufficient to revive the collapsing economy.

The suffering ranged between the inability to secure the minimum level of survival and to provide the minimum level of protection in the face of threats on one hand, and the inability to meet the psychological and social needs on the other hand leading to a marked deterioration of the human security level.

According to the economic indicators of development, the suffering was reflected in the high rates of poverty - amounting to about 65%. 37% of Palestinian people suffered extreme poverty and unemployment rates increased to reach 43%. Unemployment was focused the areas of food processing, agricultural and construction sectors, which caused a wide range of citizens to depend on external support.

The strike of teachers and workers in the area of health services, besides the wrong practices caused by the internal division, had negative impact on the level and quality of basic services.

On the security level, statistics showed that 75% of the population in the Gaza Strip is concerned about their personal security, especially in light of the continuous state of tension and closure. 40% of the families faced displacement as a result of the repeated attacks and the destruction of houses.

Thus, the civil society organizations faced prominent actions during the year, ranging from restriction on freedom of work and other practices that were represented in the closure of offices and looting of property, as well as interfering in the mechanisms of implementation of the programs and projects of the institutions being clear contravention of the NGO Law of 2001.

Agriculture is one of the important production sectors in our country which has faced major destruction and aggressive practices by the Israeli occupation in the recent years. It holds great significance for several reasons; first, being a spiritual link between man and land, secondly, serving as a source to ensure the needs and requirements of a decent and sustainable life, thirdly, representing a productive sector that contributes in increasing the income and creating job opportunities and fourth, acting as the basic lever of the comprehensive and sustainable development levers.

The continuous closure, siege and internal division have increased the disastrous results in 2008 and in particular the difficulty of the entry of agricultural inputs and the prevention of export to international markets. This actually hindered the process of development, growth and the fight against poverty in light of the universal food and economic crisis.

In 2008, PARC continued its work in partnership and cooperation with other institutions and agricultural CBO's in the prevailing work context including all variables and factors of old structural or emergency set ups as a result of the volatile political and economic situation while on the narrower context, which is directly linked to the agriculture process, facing non-sustainable practices that lead to lower efficiency and depletion of agricultural land and pollution of available water sources, as well as the damage effecting the livelihoods of many families depending on agriculture as a source of income, caused by the destruction of its resources or due to the high cost of production which in turn reduces opportunities of marketing and export.

PARC's response to the needs of marginalized and affected farmers and rural women were prompt. Moreover, it was able to directly access and communicate and effectively perform on the following areas:
1- Rehabilitation of destroyed agricultural land.
2- Support agribusiness production.
3- Lobbying and advocacy campaigns on high cost of living, conciliation, the buffer zone, the opening of the crossings, and the defense of civil rights.
4- Economic empowerment of families through micro income-generating projects.
5- Continuation and expansion of the on-going program and emergency relief programs in addition to capacity-building of cooperatives and CBOs.

The first priority of work during the year was to protect and develop the agricultural production assets (land, water and human capital), in order to enhance the ability to participate in the market, ensuring fair trade on the one hand and secure livelihoods through creating more job opportunities on the other.

The above was achieved through the rehabilitation projects of destroyed and damaged agricultural lands where they were transformed into agricultural income generating and food-processing lands, in addition to supporting the development of irrigation projects and the program of enhancing agribusiness as well as enabling farmers to receive the Euro gap certification.

The second priority was to increase the productivity and sustainability of small holdings agriculture (technical innovation, to enhance the performance of farmer's organizations, technical, logistical and financial support), through encouraging the development of safe environmental agricultural projects and urban agriculture, as well as providing support to small and micro agricultural projects in order to secure employment and income through the production of safe food.

The third priority focused on the possibility of building and strengthening safety nets for farmers and their families through employment programs, the provision of food aid, and assist in reducing the costs of risk management.

Since the early days of the Israeli aggression on December 27th, PARC hasn't stopped working, in spite of the difficulties and risks in the following directions: the provision of emergency aid, the monitor of losses and damages, communication and liaison with groups, partners and relevant international organizations.