WFP to cut monthly Gaza aid for 500,000 people

The World Food Programme will cut monthly food assistance in Gaza from 1.6 million people to 1.1 million, leaving about 500,000 without that support, the agency says. It attributes the reductions to funding shortages, while warning that food needs remain high. The WFP also plans to reduce daily hot meals provided through community kitchens from 250,000 to 150,000. Some families in hard-to-reach areas will receive meals every other day rather than daily. The number of people receiving flour and ration boxes each month will fall from 1.1 million to 600,000, according to the agency. The WFP says it received less than half its usual funding for Palestinian operations in 2026 and needs about $450 million to maintain critical operations in Gaza and the West Bank over the next six months. Shaun Hughes, the agency’s Palestine director, said the cuts were caused by finances, not falling needs or a lack of access to deliver aid. The reductions come as families continue to struggle to obtain enough food. Residents interviewed in Gaza said existing food portions were already insufficient. The WFP says roughly two-thirds of Gaza’s population faces acute food insecurity and needs...