Funding shortages force World Food Programme to cut aid to Gaza

Families currently receiving the WFP food handouts complained to the BBC that already these were insufficient and gave them little diversity in their diets."The flour isn't enough and the food boxes aren't enough either," said Dalal al-Dahdouh, who is living in the ruins of her home in Gaza City with her family of eight. She fears the new cuts will have "a major impact".The mother draws a contrast between the current desperate situation and life before the war. "In the past, thank God, we had our own home and a wonderful life. We had fresh vegetables, proper sanitation facilities and our own land," she said. "Now we live entirely on aid, including WFP vouchers."There is no cooking gas available in Gaza because the Israeli government considers it a "dual use" item that could be used by Hamas for military purposes. Wood is expensive, so many families send their children into the street to find plastic and cardboard to burn as fuel to make bread or heat food."It's still a very concerning humanitarian situation, people living in brutal conditions, most people still without a proper home, living in tents, poor access to water and sanitation and healthcare," Hughes of the WFP told the BBC. "Cuts to food assistance are going to compound that hardship that families have been facing for three years now."Families, including Sawsan Bahloul's, are forced to burn plastic and cardboard as fuel for cookingHumanitarian workers say that despite a modest improvement in Gaza compared to a year ago, acute food insecurity and the risk of famine returning continue to loom over the territory.In July, the Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) - the world's foremost experts on food security - reported that two-thirds of the population - 1.4 million people - were "expected to face crisis or worse levels of acute food insecurity in July-December 2026".