WFP halves West Bank food aid to 200,000 amid funding shortfall

September 2, 2026 at 01:40 AM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

The World Food Programme is halving its food assistance in the occupied West Bank, cutting support from 400,000 to 200,000 people due to critical funding constraints. The cuts, which begin this month, also affect Gaza, where cash assistance to 75,000 families is being reduced. The agency needs $386 million over the next six months to serve two million food-insecure people across Gaza and the West Bank.

Key Facts

The WFP is reducing its support in the West Bank from 400,000 to 200,000 people due to funding constraints.
Starting this month, food assistance in the West Bank will be cut in the form of cash, vouchers, food, livelihood programmes and nutritional services.
In Gaza, the WFP supports 1.5 million people, including one million who receive monthly food assistance.
The WFP needs $386 million over the next six months to serve around two million food-insecure people across Gaza and the West Bank.
The US share of UN funding shrank from more than one-third of the total to 15.6 percent in 2025.

West Bank Cuts

The World Food Programme announced on Tuesday that critical financing constraints are forcing it to halve its assistance in the occupied West Bank. Support will drop from 400,000 to 200,000 people, with cuts beginning this month to cash, vouchers, food, livelihood programmes and nutritional services. The UN agency estimates that 900,000 people are food insecure in the West Bank. WFP Country Director for Palestine Shaun Hughes said the agency is prioritising the most vulnerable while cutting assistance to others despite widespread needs.

Gaza Impact

A lack of funding is also affecting WFP operations in Gaza, where the agency supports 1.5 million people, including one million who receive monthly food assistance. WFP spokesperson Claire Nevill told The Associated Press that the agency has started reducing cash assistance to around 75,000 families in Gaza. The cash value of assistance for 375,000 people in Gaza was reduced by 40 percent in July. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification said in July that the situation in Gaza had improved since famine was declared last year, but warned conditions were still at crisis levels.

Funding Shortfall

International aid organisations are struggling for money as the United States has led a sharp cut in Western donations, with other Western nations also reducing contributions. The WFP said it needs additional funding of $386 million over the next six months to serve around two million food-insecure people across Gaza and the West Bank. Hughes urged the international community to act immediately and step up support for Palestinians. The UN launched its 2026 appeal for aid by asking for just half the amount it said it needed, despite humanitarian needs globally being at an all-time high. UN data showed that the US remained the biggest fund provider in 2025, but its share shrank from more than one-third of the total to 15.6 percent.