WFP says 1.4 million Palestinians remain acutely food insecure in Gaza

The World Food Programme (WFP) says 1.4 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip remain acutely food insecure, as funding shortages force the agency to reduce its assistance in the territory. According to the agency, food rations have been halved, and the overall aid programme has been cut by a third, meaning that 500,000 Palestinians in Gaza will lose access to assistance.

Shaun Hughes, the WFP country director, told the AFP news agency that conditions in Gaza remain dangerous and unstable. "People are not safe. Air strikes continue on a daily basis. People continue to be displaced," Hughes said. He added that "almost everybody remains without a permanent home to live in. And the humanitarian conditions are brutal."

The reduction in food assistance comes as the Israeli government halts commercial shipments into the Gaza Strip. The WFP has linked the cuts to funding shortages, while the closure of commercial crossings has further limited the flow of goods into the territory.

The figures point to a continuing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where displacement and repeated strikes have left most residents without stable housing. The WFP's warning follows earlier assessments by aid agencies that food insecurity in the territory remains at emergency levels.

According to Mehr News, the WFP's country director described the humanitarian conditions as brutal and said air strikes and displacement continue on a daily basis. The report added that the aid cuts coincide with Israel's halt of commercial shipments into Gaza.