World Food Programme drops 500,000 Gazans from aid...

Summary

• The World Food Programme said it is dropping 500,000 people in Gaza from its monthly aid lists, because its funding has run short.
• Country director Shaun Hughes said the agency has now cut half a million people from assistance.
• Why the World Food Programme cut aidActing executive director Carl Skau said the cause is money, not need or access.

AI Generated Summary

The World Food Programme said it is dropping 500,000 people in Gaza from its monthly aid lists, because its funding has run short.

The agency will now assist 1.1 million people instead of 1.6 million. That number still covers about half of the people living in the territory.

Country director Shaun Hughes said the agency has now cut half a million people from assistance.

Smaller rations for families

Rations are shrinking too. A family that used to get two food parcels will now receive one, and flour bags are smaller, with parcels cut by 40 percent.

The agency also lowers cash help by 40 percent for 75,000 families. Aid moves mostly through e-wallets, because little cash circulates in Gaza.

Daily hot meals for people who cannot cook fall to 150,000 from 250,000. In hard-to-reach areas, including those near the yellow line, hot meals now arrive every other day.

Why the World Food Programme cut aid