Food aid reduced in Gaza

The World Food Programme (WFP) has cut its food assistance in the Gaza Strip due to a lack of funding, affecting hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who depend on international aid for their daily meals. This reduction comes as food distributions are decreasing despite the region's ongoing high demand for support.

Impact on aid recipients

According to the WFP, 500,000 Palestinians have lost their usual food assistance this month, reducing the total number of beneficiaries from 1.6 million to 1.1 million in Gaza. In the West Bank, an additional 200,000 people are also affected by these cuts, further straining the region’s already fragile humanitarian situation.

Voices of the displaced

Displaced families in Gaza are expressing deep concern over the reduction in aid, many of whom rely entirely on humanitarian support to survive. Alaa Qassim, a displaced Palestinian from Beit Hanoun, said the decrease in aid adds to the already dire conditions in the region, where people are surrounded and cut off from resources.

Living conditions worsen

Residents in displaced persons camps are criticizing the worsening of their living conditions and the growing difficulty in obtaining basic supplies. Eid Abu Ashma, from northern Gaza now living in a camp in Deir al-Balah, described years of hardship, with aid arriving only intermittently and essential items like vegetables becoming scarce. He emphasized the human need for basic survival resources.

Calls for international support

The World Food Programme is urging the international community to provide $450 million in funding to restore reduced assistance and continue distributing hot meals and food parcels in Gaza and the West Bank for the next six months. Without this funding, the WFP warns it may be unable to meet the needs of vulnerable populations already struggling with displacement and food shortages.