WFP cuts aid to 500,000 Palestinians in Gaza amid funding shortages

The World Food Programme is cutting assistance in Gaza because of a funding shortfall, leaving about 500,000 people without monthly support. The number of people receiving aid will fall from 1.6 million to 1.1 million, food parcels and flour rations will be reduced, and daily hot meals will drop from 250,000 to 150,000. The WFP says it received less than half the funding for its Palestine operation in 2026 compared with previous years and urgently needs $450 million to sustain operations for the next six months. UN estimates say more than 80 percent of people are unemployed, and only one in five children has a sufficiently diverse diet.