Humanitarian crisis: WFP halves food assistance in the West Bank
The World Food Programme (WFP), the humanitarian arm of the United Nations, has announced a drastic measure due to a lack of financial resources: halving its food assistance in the West Bank. This decision impacts the most vulnerable populations at a critical time, where the basic needs of Palestinians have doubled since the start of the conflict in Gaza in 2023.
Impact of instability on food security
Shaun Hughes, WFP Director for Palestine, stressed that the increase in violence, military operations, transit restrictions, and forced displacement have devastated the livelihoods of thousands of families. Currently, it is estimated that 900,000 people in the West Bank suffer from food insecurity, which represents a significant portion of its 3.1 million inhabitants.
To date, the WFP has managed to assist 400,000 people in situations of extreme vulnerability, but due to budget deficits, operational capacity will be limited to 200,000 beneficiaries. This reduction not only affects the delivery of food supplies, but also support through cash and vouchers, tools that stimulated the local economy and the region’s markets.
Further cuts will be inevitable unless more secured funding is received to continue our humanitarian work.
Shaun Hughes, WFP Director for Palestine
A critical financial outlook
- 76% of households in the West Bank report a drastic drop in their income.
- Food and fuel prices in the area are among the highest in the Middle East.
- In Gaza, the WFP had already implemented a 40% cut in cash assistance since last July.
The organization has issued an urgent alert, noting that it requires at least 386 million dollars to maintain its food assistance operations in Gaza and the West Bank over the next six months. Without this funding, the situation for Palestinian families, who are already forced to sell their belongings and limit their basic consumption to survive, could worsen even further.
