In the wake of a sharp escalation in conflict that has forced nearly 264,000 individuals to flee their homes in Gaza, the World Food Programme (WFP) is taking immediate action to provide critical food relief to those affected in Gaza and the West Bank.
Responding to the urgent needs of those displaced by the ongoing conflict, WFP has initiated food distributions, offering fresh bread, canned food, and ready-to-eat meals to approximately 100,000 individuals taking refuge in United Nations Relief and Works Agency shelters in Gaza. This emergency operation aims to be a lifeline, serving the nutritional requirements of over 800,000 people during these challenging times.
Samer Abdeljaber, the WFP Palestine Country Director, expressed the gravity of the situation, stating, “The situation is devastating. We are on the ground, doing everything in our power to ensure that those in dire need—those who have been compelled to leave their homes, those finding refuge in shelters—receive the food and assistance required for their survival. We are implementing our aid through electronic vouchers, enabling people to purchase food from operational shops.”
WFP stands deeply concerned about the deteriorating situation in Israel and the State of Palestine and the adverse impact this conflict is having on civilians. “We are making every possible effort, but it won’t be long before food supplies and basic necessities in Gaza are depleted,” Abdeljaber cautioned. “We need to have the capacity to support the increasing number of affected individuals. We require safe and unhindered access.”
The organization emphasizes the importance of unfettered access to provide urgent humanitarian aid, advocating for open borders and the protection of civilians from shelling. It also calls for the safe and unimpeded movement of its humanitarian staff, who are crucial in delivering this assistance.
The destruction of infrastructure and streets in Gaza is significantly impeding humanitarian operations. Several healthcare facilities and United Nations Relief and Works Agency schools that serve as shelters have reported damage. Furthermore, several shops that were instrumental in redeeming WFP assistance have been destroyed.
In addition to access, securing increased funding is paramount for WFP to continue providing the vital support that is desperately needed. The current phase of the conflict comes against the backdrop of severe funding shortages, which prompted WFP to curtail essential aid to thousands of vulnerable Palestinian families in June. To address this pressing emergency, WFP urgently requires US$17.3 million for the next four weeks, and a total of US$44.8 million over the next six months to cover one-month emergency response and six months of regular assistance.
Even before the conflict intensified, levels of food insecurity were alarmingly high, with 1.8 million people—roughly one-third of the population in Palestine—experiencing food insecurity.
WFP’s planned emergency support includes providing fresh bread and canned food to 200,000 internally displaced individuals in UN shelters, cash transfers to 100,000 people outside shelters, in-kind food to 300,000 people in host communities, and food and cash assistance to 205,000 individuals previously supported by WFP.