UN slashes food aid for occupied West Bank and Gaza amid funding shortfall

International aid organisations are struggling for money as the United States has led a sharp cut in Western donations.Published On 1 Sep 20261 Sep 2026The World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that it is being forced to halve the scope of its assistance in the occupied West Bank due to funding issues.The United Nations agency said on Tuesday that critical financing constraints mean it must pull back on assistance, reducing its support for 400,000 people to 200,000. International aid organisations across the globe have been struggling for money as the United States has led a sharp cut in support, with other Western nations also reducing donations.Starting this month, food assistance provided to families in the West Bank in the form of cash, vouchers, food, livelihood programmes and nutritional services will be cut, the WFP said in a statement. A lack of funding is also affecting the WFP’s operations in Gaza, it added.The UN agency estimates that 900,000 people are food insecure in the West Bank. Its Country Director for Palestine, Shaun Hughes, said the WFP is “prioritising the most vulnerable while cutting assistance to others despite widespread needs”.In Gaza, the WFP supports 1....