WFP Cuts Food Aid to 500,000 Palestinians in Gaza Over Funding Shortages

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has announced significant cuts to its humanitarian food assistance in the Gaza Strip due to severe funding shortages, leaving approximately 500,000 Palestinians without essential support as millions continue to struggle with hunger and food insecurity.

The agency announced on Monday, October 19, 2026, that it would reduce the number of Palestinians receiving monthly food assistance from 1.6 million to 1.1 million, warning that the financial crisis could undermine the limited progress made in addressing hunger across the war-ravaged territory.

According to the WFP, funding for its Palestine operations in 2026 has fallen to less than half the amount received in previous years.

The agency said it urgently requires an additional $450 million to sustain its critical humanitarian operations in the occupied Palestinian territory over the next six months.

The funding shortfall has forced the organisation to reduce the quantity of food distributed to vulnerable families, as well as the number of hot meals provided to people facing severe hardship.

Under the revised assistance programme, families that previously received two food parcels monthly will now receive only one.

The agency will also reduce the size of flour bags distributed to households.

In addition, the number of hot meals provided daily will be cut from 250,000 to 150,000, further limiting access to prepared food for Palestinians who depend on humanitarian assistance to survive.

Families living in difficult-to-reach areas, particularly communities close to the so-called yellow line marking Israeli military control, will also experience further reductions in assistance.

Rather than receiving hot meals every day, these families will receive them every other day.

The WFP warned that the latest cuts could worsen the humanitarian situation in Gaza, where prolonged conflict has severely disrupted food supplies, healthcare, education and economic activities.

More than three years of Israel’s war on Gaza, which followed the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, have devastated the Palestinian territory and left much of its population dependent on humanitarian assistance for basic necessities, including food, clean water and shelter.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, more than 74,245 Palestinians have been killed since the conflict began.

The humanitarian crisis has also contributed to widespread unemployment and declining access to nutritious food.

United Nations estimates indicate that more than 80 per cent of Gaza’s population is unemployed and unable to afford fresh or protein-rich food, even when such supplies are available.

The situation is particularly concerning for children. Estimates show that only one in five children in Gaza consumes a sufficiently diverse diet, while access to healthcare services remains severely limited.

The WFP further reported that approximately 1.4 million people, representing 67 per cent of Gaza’s population, are experiencing acute food insecurity at crisis levels or worse.

Although the figure represents an improvement from the end of 2025, when an estimated 1.6 million people, or 77 per cent of the population, faced similar levels of food insecurity, the agency cautioned that the progress remains limited and vulnerable to further setbacks.

The organisation described the improvement as modest and fragile, warning that continued funding shortages could reverse the gains achieved through humanitarian interventions.

The financial challenges have also affected the agency’s operations in the occupied West Bank.

In September, the WFP reduced the number of people receiving assistance there from 400,000 to 200,000, cutting its beneficiaries by half.

The latest reductions in Gaza highlight the growing difficulties facing humanitarian organisations as they attempt to provide food and other essential assistance to vulnerable populations amid persistent needs and declining financial support.

The WFP has stressed the urgent need for additional funding to maintain its operations and prevent further deterioration in food security across the occupied Palestinian territory.

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