UN food agency halves West Bank aid because of funding shortages, warns new cuts may be needed

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has announced a drastic reduction in food aid deliveries to the Israeli-occupied West Bank, cutting assistance to half the number of people previously supported due to severe funding shortages. This comes amid warnings that similar cuts may soon be necessary in Gaza, where the WFP provides vital support to 1.5 million people. Beginning this month, the WFP will reduce its aid in the West Bank from serving 400,000 individuals to supporting only 200,000. In Gaza, the organization has already reduced the value of cash assistance by 40% for 375,000 people in July, with further reductions likely unless new funding is secured. Claire Nevill, the WFP spokesperson for the Palestinian territories, stated that the agency has already begun reducing the amount of cash given to approximately 75,000 families in Gaza. She confirmed that the same pattern is now emerging in the West Bank. The WFP has issued an urgent plea for an additional $386 million over the next six months to assist an estimated 2 million food-insecure people across Gaza and the West Bank. Nevill explained that the worsening economic conditions, combined with rising settler violence and land incursions, have led to a loss of access to livestock and agricultural land, significantly impacting food security. Despite the deteriorating situation, the WFP is being forced to scale back its operations rather than expand them, due to insufficient financial resources. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, the world's leading authority on food insecurity, noted in July that the situation in Gaza had improved slightly since famine was declared in parts of the territory last year. However, it emphasized that conditions remain at crisis levels. Earlier in July, the WFP had warned that funding shortages and donor fatigue could lead to even deeper reductions in aid for Gaza, stating that it required more than $420 million to maintain operations in Gaza and the West Bank through the end of the year. According to the WFP's latest food security analysis, 76% of households in the West Bank have experienced a significant drop in income. One-third of these households cannot afford a nutritious diet, while food and fuel prices remain among the highest in the Middle East. Rural areas and the southern part of the West Bank are particularly affected. Shaun Hughes, the WFP's country director, stated in a press release that the agency is being compelled to prioritize the most vulnerable households while cutting assistance to others, despite the widespread need. Hughes mentioned that nearly a million people across the West Bank, over a quarter of the population, are now food insecure, compared to just 11% two years ago. He described seeing families that once thrived on agriculture now forced from their homes, their livelihoods destroyed, and facing immense hardship. These families are trapped in a situation where they cannot move freely to access land or jobs, making it impossible to afford food for their families. The WFP has acknowledged that the small cash transfers it provides, approximately 50 shekels per person per month (under $20), have become a crucial lifeline for many people and will now be cut off due to the funding shortfall. In Gaza, the WFP has already reduced its cash assistance to 75,000 families in July. Hughes warned that the recent improvement in food security indicators should not create a false sense of security, as two-thirds of the population still faces critical and emergency levels of hunger. The WFP requires $386 million to prevent any further reductions in assistance in Gaza and the West Bank over the next six months. Hughes urged continued international support and solidarity, emphasizing that the needs of Palestinians in both regions have not diminished despite growing global crises and shifting domestic priorities. Inside Gaza, the World Health Organization (WHO) representative in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Dr. Renee van de Werdt, expressed serious concerns about the security situation, noting that airstrikes continue despite the ceasefire signed in October 2025. During her sixth visit to the region, she described the landscape as filled with endless piles of rubble and overcrowded, flimsy tents. Van de Werdt highlighted the unacceptable state of water supply in Gaza, pointing out that trucking remains the primary method of delivering essential resources, a situation that has persisted for nearly three years. She raised alarm over the increasing microbiological contamination of water, which has nearly tripled since January due to severely limited testing capabilities in the area.