UN food programme forced to halve West Bank aid recipients amid funding crisis

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) said it would reduce the number of beneficiaries receiving food assistance in the West Bank, effective immediately this month, as funding shortfalls force difficult operational decisions across the occupied territory.

The scaling back of aid represents a substantial cut to the WFP's humanitarian operations in the Palestinian territories. The reduction comes as the organisation faces mounting financial pressures and competing demands for resources across multiple global crisis zones.

The WFP did not immediately provide details on how the reduction would be implemented or which population groups would be most affected by the decreased assistance. Humanitarian agencies operating in the West Bank have previously warned that food insecurity remains a critical concern for vulnerable populations in the region.

The funding constraints affecting the WFP reflect broader challenges facing United Nations humanitarian agencies, which have struggled to secure adequate financial commitments from donor countries to meet growing needs across conflict-affected areas and regions experiencing economic hardship.