The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has announced significant reductions to its aid operations in Gaza, citing severe funding shortages that have forced it to cut support for more than half a million Palestinians each month. This measure comes as Gaza faces escalating food insecurity amid ongoing economic hardships and limited progress on reconstruction efforts following a ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States in 2025.

Previously, the WFP provided food assistance to approximately 1.6 million people—about three-quarters of Gaza’s population—but funding has since fallen by more than half compared to 2025 levels. As a result, since October 2026, aid distribution has been scaled back to reach 1.1 million people monthly. This includes halving food rations, reducing cash stipends for about 75,000 families, and cutting back hot meal deliveries at community kitchens from 250,000 daily meals to 150,000, with some recipients in remote areas now receiving meals only every other day.

The cuts come at a time when Gaza is grappling with widespread food insecurity. The WFP reports that nearly two-thirds of the enclave’s estimated 2.3 million residents are experiencing crisis-level hunger conditions, defined by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) as phase three or higher. About 200,000 Palestinians are in emergency conditions (IPC phase four), requiring immediate humanitarian intervention to prevent deaths from starvation. Vulnerable groups, particularly young children and mothers, are severely affected, with a recent survey highlighting chronic malnutrition and stunting rates among one in eight children.

The fragile gains achieved since international aid shipments alleviated famine conditions in mid-2025 may now be reversed, according to the WFP. Shaun Hughes, the agency’s representative for Palestine, emphasized that despite the ceasefire, the situation remains dire due to high unemployment—estimated at 80%—and the lack of reconstruction programs that would restore Gaza’s economy and food production capacity. Before the conflict, Gaza was largely self-sufficient in fruits and vegetables and relied on fishing as a vital protein source, both of which have been disrupted by military restrictions and infrastructure damage.

Israeli controls on the movement of goods have compounded difficulties by inflating operational costs and restricting essential supplies, including fuel and spare parts, necessary for the delivery of aid. The destruction of infrastructure has also limited storage capacity, further complicating distribution efforts. Aid workers warn that even if additional funds are secured, replenishing cutbacks in food assistance may take months due to logistical challenges in procuring and delivering ration components.

Local residents describe the deepening hardship. Alaa Sarhan, a disabled former paramedic living near the Israeli-controlled “yellow line,” said his family now must plan meals solely based on availability rather than choice, with personal sacrifices made to ensure children are fed. Similarly, Nesreen Muqayed, who manages chronic health conditions in her household, shared that diminished meal deliveries have forced her family to ration food carefully, often going hungry or foregoing nutritious items like fruits and vegetables.

The WFP has called for an urgent injection of funding totaling over £300 million (approximately US$450 million) to sustain and restore its programs over the next six months. Acting Executive Director Carl Skau highlighted the necessity of maintaining aid ahead of a harsh winter and urged the international community to prioritize both immediate humanitarian support and long-term recovery initiatives. Without sustained funding and political progress on reconstruction and access, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza risks deteriorating further, leaving millions more at risk of hunger and malnutrition.