In brief
The World Food Programme (WFP) is cutting its food aid to Gaza by one‑third because donors haven’t provided enough money. This means fewer hot meals in community kitchens and more families receiving aid only every other day. With 2.1 million people displaced and a projected 1.4 million fighting for food, the cuts could push many into famine. The WFP now needs an extra $450m to keep its service running. Families say the reduced rations will make it hard to survive the winter.
Funding shortage forces WFP to cut food aid to Gaza.
The World Food Programme (WFP) announced that it must reduce the number of people it helps in Gaza from 1.6 million to around 1.1 million—a cut of about 30%. That means only 150,000 hot meals a day instead of 250,000, and families in hard‑to‑reach areas will get supplies every other day.
“It’s a disaster! How will we feed the little ones?” asked Mervat al‑Satari, a mother of five living in a tent. Even the existing food boxes already feel too small.
These cuts come as winter approaches and the region’s fragile food system tightens. According to the Integrated Phase Classification, 1.4 million people face “crisis or worse” levels of food insecurity this year. Gaza’s 2.1 million residents are largely displaced, with two‑thirds relying on aid.
The WFP said it urgently needs $450 million to keep critical operations running for the next six months. With Israel’s strict controls on goods and persistent strikes, the risk that hunger could turn into famine remains high.
Families say they will have to return to cooking from scraps and burning plastic for fuel—an image the world has seen before, but again amplified by reduced aid.
