World Food Programme Announces Halving of Food Aid in the West Bank
Geneva, January 9 (KUNA) -- The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) announced on Tuesday a reduction in the number of food aid beneficiaries in the West Bank to half their previous number, due to a funding crisis facing the agency.
Sean Hughes, the WFP’s office director in Palestine, speaking remotely from London during a press conference in Geneva, stated that approximately 900,000 people in the West Bank are experiencing food insecurity. He noted that the number of beneficiaries had reached 400,000 of the most vulnerable individuals, but will be reduced to 200,000 starting this month.
He added that escalating settler violence and displacement have disrupted livelihoods and deepened the hunger crisis. According to a quarterly food security analysis conducted by the WFP, 76 percent of households in the West Bank have seen a significant decline in income.
Hughes pointed out that food and fuel prices in the West Bank have become among the highest in the Middle East region, forcing many families to sell their assets and reduce the number, quantity, and quality of their meals to survive. The analysis also revealed that 12 percent of the population suffers from poor dietary consumption, and one-third of families can no longer afford a nutritious diet due to the rapid deterioration of the economy, particularly in rural areas.
Hughes said, “While the WFP should be expanding its assistance to reach more people, we are now forced to make difficult decisions by prioritizing the most vulnerable.” He called on the international community to take urgent action and increase its support for Palestinians.
He added that the funding shortfall has also affected the WFP’s operations in Gaza, where it supports 1.5 million people, including one million receiving monthly food aid. The program was forced to cut cash assistance by 40 percent for 375,000 people last July, and Hughes warned that further cuts would be necessary if essential funding is not provided.
He emphasized that the WFP urgently needs an additional $386 million in September to cover the next six months, in order to assist nearly two million people facing food insecurity in Gaza and the West Bank. (End) A.M.K. / A.B.G.
