Image: Anadolu Ajansi
World – The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is set to worsen as the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) cuts food assistance in the territory by around one-third, leaving half a million people without critical support as winter approaches.
Since the ceasefire was announced in October 2025, the agency has reached about 1.6 million people a month with food parcels, wheat flour, bread, hot meals, nutrition support, school snacks and cash.
“For the past three years, WFP’s food assistance has provided a lifeline for up to 90 per cent of families in Gaza. WFP no longer has sufficient funding to sustain this level of support,” the agency said in a statement.
Rations Halved and Hot Meals Reduced
From this month, WFP is supporting 1.1 million of the most vulnerable people. Food rations have been halved: families now receive one food parcel instead of two, plus a smaller bag of wheat flour. Daily hot meals have fallen from 250,000 to 150,000, and cash assistance has been reduced to 75,000 families.
The cuts come as an estimated 1.4 million people, or 67 per cent of Gaza’s population, face acute food insecurity at crisis levels or worse. Around 200,000 people remain in Emergency conditions, and more than 80 per cent are unemployed.
“Improved humanitarian access and delivery of assistance since October 2025 have helped reduce food insecurity, but these gains remain fragile and could quickly be reversed if humanitarian funding continues to decline,” WFP said.
WFP Appeals For Urgent Funding As Winter Nears
The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis warns that reduced humanitarian assistance could sharply increase food needs. Funding shortfalls have also hit the West Bank, where the number of people receiving help was halved to 200,000 in September.
WFP said it urgently needs additional resources as winter approaches to sustain emergency food assistance and prevent malnutrition among young children and pregnant and breastfeeding women.
“WFP received less than half as much funding for its Palestine operation in 2026 as in previous years. The agency urgently requires USD 450 million to maintain critical operations in Gaza and the West Bank over the next six months, from October 2026 to March 2027,” the statement said.
