A senior official from the World Food Programme (WFP) said on Sunday that they will have to withhold food assistance from more than 200,000 Palestinians starting from next month due to a “critical” lack of funds.

Samer Abdeljaber, WFP’s country director, expressed to Reuters the difficult situation the organization has to face due to the severe financial shortage.

Families in besieged Gaza are experiencing the worst effects, with the highest levels of food insecurity and poverty found in the area, as well as in the occupied West Bank.

The United Nations agency is providing Palestinians living in poverty with $10.30 vouchers on a monthly basis, in addition to food baskets, however these two initiatives will be impacted.

The Israeli occupation and Egypt have imposed a tight blockade on Gaza, which has made living conditions in the coastal enclave extremely difficult.

Strict regulations are in place to monitor the flow of people and commodities; however, human rights associations have denounced the blockade as a form of unlawful mass punishment.

Abdeljaber said that the UN organization would continue to provide assistance to 140,000 Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, noting that the suspension ruling was made to protect those most in danger of being unable to purchase their meals.

He stated that, if funds are not obtained, the World Food Programme will have to put an end to both food and money aid completely by the end of August.

Dozens of Palestinians demonstrated outside the WFP offices in Gaza City, chanting “no to hunger” to voice their disapproval of the decision.

Roughly two million people inhabit the Gaza Strip, and nearly half are without employment. Additionally, the vast majority of these people are reliant on international aid, according to Palestinian and UN sources.