International aid organizations are experiencing financial difficulties as the United States has significantly reduced its contributions. The World Food Programme (WFP) announced on Tuesday that it is forced to halve its assistance in the occupied West Bank due to funding constraints. This reduction means support will decrease from 400,000 people to 200,000. The WFP stated that starting this month, food assistance provided to families in the West Bank, which includes cash, vouchers, food, livelihood programs, and nutritional services, will be cut. The funding shortfall is also impacting operations in Gaza.
The WFP estimates that 900,000 people in the West Bank are food insecure. Shaun Hughes, the WFP's Country Director for Palestine, noted that the agency is prioritizing the most vulnerable while having to cut assistance to others despite widespread needs. In Gaza, the WFP supports 1.5 million people, including one million who receive monthly food assistance. Claire Nevill, the agency’s spokesperson for the Palestinian territories, informed The Associated Press that cash assistance has begun to be reduced for approximately 75,000 families in Gaza.
The cash value of assistance for 375,000 people in Gaza was reduced by 40 percent in July. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification reported in July that while the situation in Gaza has improved since famine was declared in parts of the territory last year, conditions remain at crisis levels. The WFP indicated that it requires an additional $386 million over the next six months to assist around two million food-insecure individuals in Gaza and the West Bank. Hughes urged the international community to act immediately and increase support for Palestinians. The UN has launched its 2026 appeal for aid, requesting only half of the amount deemed necessary, despite global humanitarian needs reaching an all-time high. Data from the UN indicated that the US was the largest fund provider in 2025, although its share decreased from over one-third of the total to 15.6 percent due to cuts made by the previous administration.