World Food Programme Cuts Aid for 500,000 Gazans

The World Food Programme is drastically reducing food aid in the Gaza Strip, leaving approximately 500,000 people without monthly support. The number of aid recipients will drop from 1.6 million to 1.1 million, with daily hot meals decreasing from 250,000 to 150,000 and flour and ration box distributions falling from 1.1 million to 600,000 per month. The agency also halved assistance in the West Bank, reducing recipients from 400,000 to 200,000.

Acting Executive Director Carl Skau described life in Gaza as "absolutely brutal," noting that two-thirds of the population face crisis levels of acute food insecurity. Skau highlighted a lack of basic services and safety one year after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire, reporting roughly 50 security incidents per day. He noted that funding for Palestinian operations in 2026 was less than half of previous years.

The agency urgently requires $450 million over the next six months to sustain critical operations through March 2027. The Government of Gaza characterized the cuts as "catastrophic" and warned they could accelerate famine. The WFP stated the reductions are based on financial shortfalls rather than access issues or reduced need, occurring just as winter begins and commercial shipments face disruptions over taxation disagreements.