Starting in September, the World Food Program (WFP) will halve the number of Palestinians it supports in the occupied West Bank from 400,000 to 200,000. The organization provides food, vouchers and cash primarily to people in rural areas and the southern West Bank.

The cuts come as needs grow amid violence by Jewish settlers and Israeli military operations. Shaun Hughes, director of the WFP's Palestine program, warned that severe restrictions on movement, demolitions and widespread displacement are depriving people of their livelihoods and increasing food insecurity.

Contributions from major Western donors, including the United States, have fallen significantly since last year as governments prioritize domestic spending and defense.

Violence and the seizure of land and water by militant Jewish settlers have intensified since the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on 7 October. The United Nations and most countries consider Israeli settlements illegal, while Israel regards the territory as disputed rather than occupied.

According to Hughes, humanitarians have traditionally regarded the West Bank as a human rights crisis rather than a food crisis, but mounting pressures are changing that. Restrictions on movement are preventing Palestinians from accessing land and jobs, leaving them unable to afford food for their families.

Funding shortages are also affecting Gaza, where the WFP supports 1.5 million people. Without additional resources, further cuts will be unavoidable.

(Reuters, bak)