WFP cuts Gaza aid for 500,000 people as funding shortfall deepens
Why it matters: The agency needs $450 million in six months and will cut daily hot meals to 150,000 from 250,000.
The World Food Programme is scaling back food aid in Gaza because of funding shortages, ending monthly support for about 500,000 people and reducing overall assistance to 1.1 million from 1.6 million. The UN agency said food rations are being halved, flour distributions reduced and cash aid for 75,000 families cut. Daily hot meals will drop to 150,000 from 250,000, and some families in hard-to-reach areas will get meals every other day instead of daily. WFP says roughly 1.4 million people in Gaza, about two-thirds of the population, still face acute food insecurity. It is seeking $450 million to sustain operations in Gaza and the West Bank over the next six months.