WFP cuts food aid to thousands of Palestinians

JERUSALEM

The World Food Programme (WFP) on Wednesday announced cuts in food aid to the Palestinian territories as of next year, a move that would affect tens of thousands of impoverished Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and West Bank.

In a statement, the UN agency said it needs $57 million to maintain the current level of food support to 360,000 people in 2019.

“As WFP prioritizes its operations based on available funds, 27,000 people in the West Bank stand to receive no further assistance while the rest are set to receive only 80 percent of their monthly entitlement,” it said.

The WFP said it would cut food assistance to 165,000 people in the Gaza Strip as of Jan. 1.

“WFP is concerned that these cuts may have a devastating effect on the food security, livelihoods welfare of the people it serves in Palestine,” it said.

WFP assistance goes to the poorest and most food-insecure communities who are classified as facing deep poverty.

Most of those communities struggle to live on less than $1 per day and are unable to meet their basic food, clothing and housing needs.

“As the gap between rising food needs and available resources continues to widen, WFP has no alternative but to take these difficult decisions,” said Stephen Kearney, WFP Representative and Country Director in Palestine.