WFP cuts food aid for 500,000 people in Gaza amid funding shortfall
publishers 57articles 65first reported 19 Oct, 06:00 UTCdeveloping since 19 Oct · 10 editions
The UN World Food Programme is cutting monthly assistance to 500,000 Palestinians in Gaza because of a funding shortage, reducing the number of recipients there from 1.6 million to 1.1 million. AP reported that aid would also be cut for 200,000 people in the West Bank.
The reductions include smaller benefits for those who remain enrolled. Families receiving food assistance will get one parcel instead of two and a smaller bag of wheat flour. Cash support for 75,000 families will fall from 1,250 to 750 shekels a month, while the number of hot meals distributed daily will drop from 250,000 to 150,000.
WFP officials said the cuts were caused by insufficient financing rather than reduced need or an inability to deliver food. The agency estimates that 1.4 million people in Gaza, about two-thirds of the population, face acute food insecurity, including roughly 200,000 in emergency conditions.
“This has been a lifeline,” WFP country director Shaun Hughes told AFP. “But now, rather than being able to sustain and scale up that assistance, we're actually having to reduce it.”
The agency says it has received about half its usual financing for Palestinian operations in 2026 and needs roughly $450 million over the next six months to maintain critical work in Gaza and the West Bank. Displaced Gaza residents said the reductions could leave families without enough money or food amid unemployment, destroyed homes and high prices.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 8 articles, 5 with the publisher's own text; 8 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 48 h after the record first saw the story; the editor kept it as written.
- Publishers
- 57
- Source articles
- 65
- Given to the writer
- 8, 5 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 8
- This version written
- 48 h after the record first saw the story
- Second model (editor)
- kept as written
- Publication gate
- passed
- Human review
- none
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