WFP Halves Food Aid in West Bank, Leaving Nearly 200,000 Palestinians Without Support

DID Press: The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has halved its food assistance in the West Bank because of severe funding shortages, leaving nearly 200,000 Palestinians without support as food insecurity worsens.

The WFP said on September 1 that it had previously been assisting about 400,000 of the most vulnerable people in the West Bank, but the number will now be reduced to 200,000. The agency said food needs have more than doubled since 2023, while escalating settler violence, displacement, economic deterioration and rising unemployment have further weakened food security.

The agency estimates that around 900,000 people in the West Bank are currently food insecure, while one-third of families cannot afford a nutritious diet. WFP also said 76 percent of households have experienced a significant decline in income.

The funding crisis is also affecting Gaza. In July, WFP reduced the cash value of its assistance for about 375,000 people, while its broader food and cash operations continue to support around 1.5 million people each month. The agency warns that if humanitarian assistance is not sustained, up to 90 percent of Gaza’s population could face high levels of acute food insecurity by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned of worsening water quality and rising disease risks in Gaza. WHO said microbiological contamination in tested water samples increased from just under 6 percent in January to nearly 20 percent in August. Cases of acute watery diarrhoea also almost doubled, rising from about 30,000 in March to more than 58,000 in August.

WHO has warned that damaged sanitation infrastructure, overflowing sewage, accumulated waste and the approaching winter rains could further increase the risk of disease outbreaks in the densely populated territory.