UN to halve food aid in West Bank because of funding shortfall

The United Nations World Food Programme says it will halve food assistance in the occupied West Bank this month because donations have fallen sharply. Support from major Western donors, including the United States, has declined since last year as those governments prioritize domestic spending and defense.

WFP had been providing food, vouchers and cash to 400,000 people in the West Bank. That reach will now fall to 200,000, according to the agency.

Shaun Hughes, WFP’s director for Palestine, said movement restrictions, home demolitions and mass displacement had damaged Palestinians’ livelihoods and increased food insecurity. “Aid should be increased, not halved,” he said.

The funding shortage is also affecting WFP’s work in the Gaza Strip, where 1.5 million Palestinians receive assistance.

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Strict movement restrictions, home demolitions and mass displacement in the West Bank have disrupted Palestinians’ livelihoods and contributed to increased food insecurity. Aid should be increased, not halved.