Palestine: Food Security, Olive Agriculture and Metabolic Health

Palestinian metabolic health is inseparable from food access, displacement, damaged health services and restrictions affecting agriculture and movement. At the same time, Palestinian food traditions—olive oil, lentils, chickpeas, freekeh, vegetables, herbs, yogurt and fruit—offer a culturally grounded basis for recovery and long-term prevention.

Palestine at a glance

• Current health context: conflict has disrupted food supplies, water, clinics, laboratories and medicine access.
• NCD evidence: WHO maintains STEPS surveillance for the occupied Palestinian territory, including a 2022 survey.
• Agricultural heritage: olives, grapes, stone fruit, vegetables, cereals and small ruminants remain important.
• Immediate priority: prevent starvation and restore essential services.
• Chronic-care priority: maintain insulin, blood-pressure medicines, dialysis, cancer care and appropriate food.

Food heritage and the whole meal

Lentils, chickpeas, freekeh, vegetables, olive oil and yogurt can provide fibre, plant protein and unsaturated fat. Bread and rice are not inherently the problem; grain quality, portion and the foods served with them shape the nutritional pattern.

Olive trees also carry economic, ecological and cultural meaning. FAO research on water harvesting highlights ways to strengthen olive-farming resilience under drought and water scarcity.

Conflict, hunger and metabolic disease

Emergency undernutrition and chronic metabolic illness can occur simultaneously. A person with diabetes may face both insufficient food and loss of insulin. Standard weight-loss advice is inappropriate in acute hunger.

Humanitarian planning must protect safe water, nutritionally adequate food and continuity of essential medicines. Chronic disease does not pause during conflict.

Salt, sugar and future prevention

WHO reports that the occupied Palestinian territory has implemented national salt-reduction measures. When basic food security and services are restored, school food, water access, marketing policy and minimally processed local foods can support longer-term prevention.

Priorities for recovery

1. Restore safe water, adequate food and functioning health services.
2. Protect insulin, dialysis and essential NCD medicine supply chains.
3. Support farmers, olive groves, seed systems and local markets.
4. Preserve access to legumes, vegetables and whole grains in food assistance.
5. Rebuild NCD surveillance and primary care.
6. Address sugary drinks and excess sodium without distracting from immediate survival needs.

Key takeaway

Palestinian metabolic health requires both emergency protection and long-term food-system recovery. Traditional foods can support health, but only when people have secure access to food, water, land, markets and continuous medical care.

Selected authoritative sources

• WHO: NCD surveillance in the occupied Palestinian territory
• WHO Health Cluster: Health crisis in the occupied Palestinian territory
• FAO: Palestinian Agricultural Census 2021
• FAO: Water harvesting and Palestinian olive farming

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