A severe famine crisis is knocking on Gaza’s doors

The UN World Food Programme has warned of the risk of famine due to having to significantly cut back its food aid in the Gaza Strip starting October 1, because of a lack of funding, at a time when severe food insecurity is still widespread in the area. This comes despite humanitarian assessments indicating that recent improvements remain fragile.

WFP Emergency Coordinator in Gaza, Willy Neicho, said the program was providing support to around 1.5 million people per month on average up to August 2026, but he confirmed that funding constraints would force it to reduce that number to about 1.1 million people starting in October.

According to the announcements, most of the cuts will be in direct food assistance, where the number of beneficiaries is expected to drop from around 1.1 million to about 600,000.

The UN media site quoted Nieko during a tour inside one of the program’s distribution centers in Gaza City, saying that the funding crisis doesn’t just mean fewer people get help, but also forces the program to cut down on the amount of food given to families and the value of some cash assistance, in an effort to make the most of available resources to reach as many people in need as possible.