Gaza Faces Deeper Hunger as WFP Cuts Aid to Half Million Amid Funding Crisis

The World Food Programme (WFP) has been forced to slash critical food aid to 500,000 people in the Gaza Strip, reducing its monthly beneficiaries from 1.6 million to 1.1 million, effective this October. This drastic cut comes as winter approaches, threatening to reverse fragile improvements in food security across the war-battered territory and deepening an already dire humanitarian crisis. Food rations have been halved, and daily hot meals along with cash assistance have also seen significant reductions. This dire situation is a direct result of severe funding shortages, with the WFP Palestine operation receiving less than half the financial support in 2026 compared to previous years. Despite an October 2025 ceasefire, reconstruction efforts in Gaza remain stalled, jobs are scarce, and daily airstrikes continue, leaving an estimated 1.4 million people, or two-thirds of the population, facing acute food insecurity. Donor nations, grappling with their own economic challenges, and significant cuts in contributions to UN agencies by the Trump administration, have contributed to this critical shortfall. Shaun Hughes, WFP country director for Palestine, emphasized that conditions have not improved enough to withdraw aid, stating that people are not safe, remain displaced, and face brutal humanitarian conditions. The WFP urgently requires USD 450 million to maintain its essential operations in Gaza and the West Bank over the next six months, from October 2026 to March 2027. Without immediate international action, the reduction in aid risks pushing hundreds of thousands into deeper hunger and suffering, potentially reversing any gains made since the famine declared in summer 2025.