WFP To Drop 500,000 Gazans From Food Aid As $450 Million Funding Gap Deepens

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) will cut monthly food assistance to 500,000 people in Gaza because of a funding shortfall, reducing the number of people receiving support from 1.6 million to 1.1 million, the agency announced on Monday, October 19.

The cuts will also halve food rations, reduce cash assistance for 75,000 families and bring down the number of hot meals distributed daily from 250,000 to 150,000. The WFP said it urgently needs $450 million to maintain critical operations in Gaza and the occupied West Bank over the next six months.

The cuts come as food insecurity continues across Gaza, with winter approaching and many Palestinians struggling to access food and shelter. The WFP warned that further funding shortages could reverse recent improvements in food security.

According to Reuters, the WFP has been forced to scale back assistance despite continued humanitarian needs across the Palestinian territory. The agency said it had received less than half the funding for its Palestine operation in 2026 compared with previous years.

Food Rations Halved, Hot Meals Reduced

Under the revised programme, families that previously received two food parcels will receive one, while the size of flour bags will also be reduced. The changes will affect people who depend on the agency for essential food supplies.

The WFP will reduce its daily hot meal distributions from 250,000 to 150,000. Families in hard-to-reach areas, including locations near the so-called yellow line marking areas under Israeli military control, will receive hot meals every other day instead of daily.

Cash assistance for 75,000 families has also been cut, according to Reuters. The cuts come as many households continue to rely on humanitarian support to meet basic needs after years of conflict and widespread destruction.

In its announcement on Monday, the WFP said the reductions were necessary because of funding constraints. The agency warned that half a million people would lose access to critical assistance at a time when conditions remained difficult across Gaza.

Al Jazeera reported that the WFP's funding shortfall had also affected operations in the occupied West Bank. In September, the number of people receiving assistance there was reduced from 400,000 to 200,000.

The WFP has called for additional international funding to sustain its operations and protect the progress made in improving access to food. Its appeal covers both Gaza and the occupied West Bank over the next six months.

WFP Warns Of Difficult Winter Ahead

Around 1.4 million people in Gaza, or approximately two-thirds of the population, face crisis levels of food insecurity or worse, according to figures cited by the WFP. This includes roughly 200,000 people experiencing emergency levels of food insecurity.

The latest reductions come a year after a US-brokered ceasefire agreement that envisaged the eventual reconstruction of Gaza. However, progress towards a broader agreement to end the conflict has remained limited, while many Palestinians continue to live without adequate shelter and basic services.

Carl Skau, the WFP's acting executive director, described conditions in Gaza as severe during a visit to the territory.

“It's a year into the agreement of this ceasefire. Well, life is still brutal here. There is no proper shelter...There is no basic services. There is no safety, no security,” Skau told Reuters.

He also warned that the cuts would coincide with another winter in Gaza. “These cuts are happening just as we are facing the fourth winter. You know, I've been through the winters here, absolutely brutal,” he said.

The WFP has urged donors to provide the additional $450 million needed to maintain its humanitarian operations and support early recovery efforts.