The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that severe funding shortages will force it to significantly reduce food assistance across the Gaza Strip, leaving 500,000 Palestinians without critical support at a time when widespread hunger continues to grip the enclave.

In a statement, WFP said the funding crisis had made it impossible to maintain current operations, despite humanitarian needs remaining extremely high. The agency warned that the reductions could reverse fragile improvements in food security achieved since the October 2025 ceasefire, particularly as winter approaches.

Half a million people to lose assistance

WFP said it would reduce the number of people receiving monthly food and cash assistance from 1.6 million to 1.1 million, leaving around half a million people without regular support.

Families that continue receiving assistance will also face reduced aid. Food rations will be cut by half, beneficiaries will receive one food parcel instead of two, wheat flour allocations will be reduced, and the number of daily hot meals will fall from 250,000 to 150,000. Families living in hard-to-reach areas, including those near areas under Israeli military control, will receive hot meals every other day instead of daily.

In addition, WFP has reduced the value of cash assistance provided to 75,000 families, while maintaining support for bakeries that produce around one-third of Gaza's bread supply, nutritional programmes for 300,000 women and children, and school snack programmes reaching 200,000 children.

Hunger remains widespread

According to WFP, around 1.4 million people, or 67 per cent of Gaza's population, continue to experience crisis-level or worse food insecurity, while approximately 200,000 people remain in emergency conditions requiring immediate assistance to prevent deaths from hunger.

The agency also noted that more than 80 per cent of Gaza's population remains unemployed, leaving many families unable to afford nutritious food even when it is available. Only one in five children currently has access to an adequately diverse diet.

WFP appeals for urgent funding

WFP said it has received less than half the funding for its Palestine operations in 2026 compared with previous years and urgently requires US$450 million to sustain critical operations in Gaza and the occupied West Bank over the next six months.

The agency stressed that the reductions were driven solely by funding shortages rather than declining humanitarian needs, warning that continued cuts could quickly worsen the food security situation and increase the risk of hunger across the territory.(ILKHA)