UN WFP to cut aid for 500,000 Gaza residents — ABC News Australia

The UN World Food Programme will reduce humanitarian food assistance in the Gaza Strip, Palestine, due to a lack of funding. An estimated 500,000 people whom the organization classifies as vulnerable will lose access to it. This was reported by ABC News.

WFP is the largest single provider of humanitarian food assistance in the Gaza Strip. Following the ceasefire with Israel in October 2025, the organization provided assistance to around 1.6 million people every month. It now plans to cut the number of recipients by approximately one-third as part of cost-reduction measures.

Reductions in rations and cash support

Families that previously received two food parcels will now receive one. The weight of flour bags will be reduced, while the number of food parcels will be cut by 40%. Hot meals for residents of hard-to-reach areas, including near the yellow line bordering territories under Israeli military control, will be provided every other day instead of daily.

WFP will also reduce cash assistance for 75,000 families by 40%. Transfers are mostly made through e-wallets and other digital means, as there is a shortage of cash in the enclave.

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WFP Acting Executive Director Carl Skau said after a trip to Gaza that the aid cuts could have serious consequences for hunger levels and stability. According to WFP's September market monitoring, 44% of households cannot afford basic food products due to high prices, while 44% of Palestinians went to bed hungry at least once during a 30-day period.

Funding shortfall

According to Skau, the reason for the cuts is not restrictions on the ability to bring in food or a decrease in needs, but a lack of funds. He noted that traditional donors, including the United States and European countries, have reduced funding, while needs are increasing due to simultaneous crises in Gaza, Sudan, and Yemen.

After the ceasefire, humanitarian operations in the Gaza Strip became less risky, and malnutrition levels declined. In December, the UN withdrew its famine declaration for Gaza, made in August 2025, explaining this by the arrival of sufficient supplies over several months. Skau, however, called the gains achieved unsustainable and noted that restrictions on the import of certain goods still hinder the region's recovery.