Palestinians in fear as Israeli forces mount pogroms on West Bank mosques

The World Food Programme (WFP) has reduced its food assistance in the West Bank by half due to funding shortages, according to a recent announcement. Despite halving its service, the UN program revealed that food needs have doubled since 2023, leaving an estimated 900,000 people in the Palestinian territory experiencing food insecurity. Previously, the program could only support 400,000 of those in need.

Following Hamas' October 7 attacks on southern Israel, 140,000 Palestinians lost their work permits in the region. The WFP's latest quarterly food security analysis showed that 76% of households in the West Bank experienced a significant decline in income, and food and fuel prices remain among the highest in the Middle East, forcing many families to sell assets and reduce their meals.

Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics reported a 27.9% unemployment rate among those aged 15 and above, with an average daily wage of only NIS 134.3, less than half of Israel's minimum daily wage of NIS 257.75. One-third of West Bank Palestinian families cannot afford a nutritious diet, particularly those living in rural areas and the southern West Bank.

WFP Country Director Shaun Hughes emphasized that families who were once self-sufficient are now unable to afford sufficient food. He urged the international community to support Palestinians immediately, urging the organization to prioritize the most vulnerable while cutting assistance to others.