Severe Funding Shortage: WFP Cuts Food Aid to 500,000 in Gaza

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has significantly scaled back its food assistance in the besieged Gaza Strip due to an acute funding shortage. Consequently, nearly 500,000 Palestinians in Gaza are now facing extreme food insecurity. In a statement issued on Monday, October 19, the WFP disclosed that it has received less than half the required funding for its Palestine operations this year compared to previous years.

The agency urgently requires an additional $450 million to sustain its emergency operations in Gaza over the next six months. Due to this shortfall, the number of monthly food aid recipients in Gaza has been reduced from 1.6 million to 1.1 million. As part of these cuts, families who previously received two food parcels or packages will now receive only one, and the size of flour sacks has been reduced. Furthermore, the daily distribution of hot meals has been slashed from 250,000 to 150,000.

Carl Skau, WFP’s Acting Executive Director, assessed the situation during a visit to Gaza. According to the agency, prolonged conflict has completely shattered Gaza’s economy, education system, and healthcare sector, leaving nearly 84 percent of the population facing severe food insecurity. The aid cuts come at a critical juncture, compounded by the funding crisis, as Gaza’s residents fight a daily battle for survival. Earlier in September, assistance was also halved in the occupied West Bank, where the number of beneficiaries was reduced from 400,000 to 200,000.

Source: Al Jazeera.