World News
U.N. World Food Programme halves West Bank aid and warns of new Gaza cuts
Severe funding deficits are forcing the agency to reduce assistance to hundreds of thousands of food-insecure Palestinians.
The short version
- The World Food Programme is cutting food aid in the West Bank from 400,000 to 200,000 people starting in September 2026 due to funding shortages.
- The agency warns that additional aid reductions in Gaza may be unavoidable after already reducing cash assistance values by 40% for 375,000 residents in July.
- WFP states it urgently needs $386 million over the next six months to support roughly 2 million food-insecure individuals across both territories.
Key facts
- The World Food Programme is halving its aid reach in the West Bank, dropping coverage from 400,000 to 200,000 recipients beginning in September 2026.[Associated Press]
- WFP urgently requires $386 million in new funding to sustain aid for an estimated 2 million food-insecure Palestinians over the next six months.[Associated Press]
- In Gaza, WFP reduced cash assistance values by 40% for 375,000 individuals in July 2026 and warned that further cuts are likely without fresh funds.[Associated Press]
- According to WFP analysis, an estimated 900,000 people are food insecure in the West Bank, where 76% of households have suffered significant income drops.[Associated Press]
- Despite an October 2025 ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, security restrictions and ongoing hostilities continue to hinder aid delivery and infrastructure recovery in Gaza.[Associated Press]
What remains uncertain
- It remains uncertain whether international donors will provide the $386 million requested to prevent deeper cuts to Gaza's 1.5 million aid recipients.[Associated Press]