Displaced West Bank Palestinians face growing hunger after UN cuts food aid
The United Nations has reduced food aid for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank by 50% due to funding constraints, leaving hundreds of thousands facing severe hunger.
Fawza Awad, a 75-year-old widow, wept while describing her life since being displaced from Tulkarem refugee camp in January 2025 during an Israeli military operation. She now shares a small, unfinished house with her son, his wife, and their child. The family previously relied on World Food Programme assistance but hasn't received aid in five months.
The UN agency officially announced a 50% reduction in food aid recipients in the occupied West Bank in September, citing "critical funding constraints" from international donors. Food needs have more than doubled since 2023, when Israel began its military operations in Gaza and increased attacks in the West Bank.
The WFP confirmed that approximately 900,000 people in the West Bank currently suffer from food insecurity, with some families losing aid before the official September announcement.
Growing desperation
Fawza's home was demolished by the Israeli army, replaced by a road for military vehicles. One of her sons has been detained since 2024, while others who worked in Israel are now unemployed.
I suffer from asthma and high blood pressure, requiring monthly medication that costs at least 200 shekels ($64), an expense no one covers for me. We used to receive modest food aid barely enough for two or three people, but now that has stopped completely
School shelters
In Tulkarem's al-Muwahhad School, over 1,000 displaced Palestinians from Tulkarem and Nur Shams camps shelter in classrooms. Rabab Qasim, 47, and her husband Talib Abu Sarriya, 72, live with their three children in a 30-square-meter room with no income.
I sleep on a worn-out mattress on the floor; all I wish for is to be able to buy a bed
For three months, they've received no aid. Rabab suffers from a herniated disc requiring monthly treatment costing 300 shekels ($96) that she cannot afford. Talib reports they often cannot find bread or meals, frequently going to sleep hungry.
Related
