The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) announced on Thursday, May 11, 2023, that by next month 200,000 people – 60% of the people the agency assists in Palestine – will no longer be receiving food assistance due to a severe funding shortage.

These are difficult choices, but we have already exhausted all options to stretch the funding that we have. We are grateful for the constant support that we received from donors over the years, but needs are growing, and resources are not meeting these needs,” Samer Abdeljaber,WFP Representative and Country Director in Palestine said.

According to WFP, the organization urgently needs US$51 million to maintain its life-saving food and cash assistance in Palestine until the end of the year.

Due to the steep rise in food prices and the constant instability, even the most basic needs have become unattainable leaving 1.84 million Palestinians – 35% of the population – food insecure, WFP reported.

The situation is particularly dire in Gaza, where unemployment rates stand at 45.3 percent and two out of every three people struggle to afford to put food on the table.

“We urge government donors and the private sector to continue their support to WFP during this difficult time,” said Abdeljaber. “Continued donor support has allowed us to provide a lifeline to Palestinians as well as build sustainable food solutions in Palestine. We need now, more than ever, to ensure that work does not stop.”