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UN Food Agency Forced to Slash Gaza Aid Due to Funding Crisis

The World Food Programme said it must reduce assistance in Gaza by roughly one-third as budget constraints take hold. The cutback will affect hundreds of thousands of Palestinians dependent on humanitarian support.

LSN World News · 19 October 2026

UN Food Agency Forced to Slash Gaza Aid Due to Funding Crisis

The United Nations World Food Programme announced it will significantly reduce its operations in Gaza due to insufficient funding, marking a setback for humanitarian efforts in the Palestinian territory already facing a severe humanitarian crisis.

Under the new constraints, the agency's reach will contract to 1.1 million people from its current coverage of approximately 1.6 million, representing a reduction of about one-third. The cuts underscore mounting pressure on international relief organizations attempting to meet escalating need across the region with finite resources.

The decision comes amid ongoing conflict and economic deterioration in Gaza, where food insecurity has become increasingly acute. The WFP's pullback is expected to leave hundreds of thousands without reliable access to humanitarian food assistance at a time when commercial supply chains remain severely disrupted.

The funding shortfall affecting the WFP reflects broader challenges facing UN agencies worldwide as multiple crises compete for limited international aid budgets. Relief organizations have repeatedly warned that inadequate financing threatens their ability to prevent widespread famine and malnutrition across vulnerable populations.