Funding shortage deprives half a million people in Gaza of food aid
The World Food Programme halted monthly aid to half a million people in Gaza due to funding shortages, amid warnings of worsening humanitarian conditions.
Translated by Qiyas from الراي — Original source
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) announced today its decision to halt monthly aid to 500,000 people in the Gaza Strip due to funding shortages, while warning that needs remain substantial.
Sean Hughes, the WFP Country Director for the Palestinian territories, said, “Starting this month, we have had to remove half a million people from the total number of beneficiaries we support.”
This reduces the number of Palestinians receiving WFP assistance, whether in the form of food or cash, to 1.1 million people, roughly half of Gaza’s population.
The WFP stated that its efforts helped mitigate the famine that struck Gaza last year. However, it warned that conditions have not improved enough to allow for the cessation of aid.
Hughes, speaking from the agency’s office in East Jerusalem, said, “People are not safe. Airstrikes continue daily. People continue to be displaced.”
He added, “Almost everyone still lacks a permanent home to live in. The humanitarian conditions are harsh.”
Latest assessments indicate that 1.4 million people, representing about two-thirds of Gaza’s population, continue to suffer from “severe food insecurity” and require humanitarian assistance to survive.
