Shaun Hughes, the WFP Palestine director, stated that the reductions are driven by finances, not a decrease in need or lack of access. “It is not because the needs are coming down, or because we don’t have access – we do,” Hughes told the BBC. The agency urgently requires $450 million (£338 million) to maintain critical operations over the next six months, noting that it received less than half the funding for its Palestinian operations in 2026 compared to previous years.
The immediate impact will be felt in community kitchens, where daily hot meals will drop from 250,000 to 150,000. Families in hard-to-reach areas, such as those near the so-called Yellow Line demarcating Israeli military control, will receive meals every other day instead of daily. Additionally, the number of people receiving flour bags and ration boxes will fall from 1.1 million to 600,000 per month. Cash transfers, already reduced in July for half a million people, will also be affected by the broader funding constraint.
Humanitarian conditions in Gaza remain dire despite a ceasefire agreed upon a year ago. With no significant reconstruction and little recovery, Israel maintains tight control over the entry of goods through crossings. Although food markets are currently well-stocked, economic collapse limits access; more than 80% of the population is unemployed. Consequently, two-thirds of Gazans rely on food aid to survive. The Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) reported in July that 1.4 million people were expected to face crisis or worse levels of acute food insecurity between July and December 2026.
Residents described the current aid levels as already insufficient, with limited dietary diversity. Mervat al-Satari, a displaced mother of five in the al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis, called the cuts a “disaster,” stating that her family often waits for these meals to eat. Sawsan Bahloul, another mother in al-Mawasi, noted that portions usually consisting of pasta or lentils were already too small to feed her family. Dalal al-Dahdouh, living in the ruins of her home in Gaza City, contrasted the current situation with pre-war life, noting that her family of eight now lives entirely on aid and lacks cooking gas, which Israel classifies as a dual-use item.
The WFP will continue supporting bakeries that provide one-third of Gaza’s bread needs, along with nutritional assistance for 300,000 women and children and health food snacks for 200,000 children. In the occupied West Bank, the agency continues to assist 200,000 Palestinians, a number it halved in September, citing rising food insecurity due to increased settler violence and displacement. The next critical step depends on the agency’s ability to secure the required $450 million to prevent further contraction of its operations.
