World Food Programme Cuts Aid for Half Million Gazans Amid Funding Shortfall

The World Food Programme (WFP) announced on Monday that funding shortages are forcing it to suspend food assistance for half a million Palestinians in Gaza.

The cuts will reduce the number of Palestinians receiving WFP aid in Gaza by about a third, down to 1.1 million people. Shaun Hughes, the WFP country director, stated that the reduction is due to a lack of funding, not humanitarian access. The WFP received less than half as much funding for its Palestine operation in 2026 compared to previous years.

The agency urgently needs $450 million over the next six months to maintain critical operations in Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank. In addition to ending assistance for 500,000 people, the WFP is halving food rations for those still receiving aid, meaning families will get one food parcel instead of two, alongside a smaller bag of wheat flour.

Cash assistance for 75,000 families will be reduced from 1,250 to 750 shekels ($400 to $240) monthly. The number of daily hot meals for those unable to cook has fallen from 250,000 to 150,000, with some families receiving a hot meal only every other day. About 1.4 million people, or two-thirds of Gaza's population, face crisis levels of food insecurity or worse, including about 200,000 people in emergency conditions.

The WFP's efforts had mitigated the effects of a famine declared in August 2025, which was lifted in December, two months after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire. However, acting executive director Carl Skau said life in Gaza remains brutal, with no proper shelter, basic services, safety, or security, and airstrikes continue daily. Gaza's Government Media Office warned of catastrophic consequences and called for the reopening of border crossings for urgent aid delivery.

Palestinians in Gaza, like Samaher al-Najjar and Ayman Daghmash, expressed alarm, noting their reliance on aid and the inability to provide food for their children. The price of a bundle of bread rose from 5 to 12 shekels after the announcement of aid cuts. The cuts are happening as Gaza faces a fourth winter, with needs expected to rise.