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UN food agency halves West Bank aid because of funding shortages, warns new cuts may be needed

UN food agency halves West Bank aid because of funding shortages, warns new cuts may be needed

The United Nations' food agency is halving food aid in the Israeli-occupied West Bank because of severe funding shortages

World Food Programme Halves Aid to West Bank Amid Funding Shortages, Gaza Faces Looming Health Crisis

World Food Programme Halves Aid to West Bank Amid Funding Shortages, Gaza Faces Looming Health Crisis

The World Food Programme (WFP) has been forced to cut its aid to families in the West Bank by half, impacting approximately 200,000 people, despite a doubling of needs over the past two years. Shaun Hughes, WFP country director for Palestine, stated that intensified settler violence, escalating Israeli military operations, severe movement restrictions, demolitions, and widespread displacement have eroded Palestinian livelihoods and increased food insecurity. A crippling economic crisis has also pushed unemployment to more than double, leaving over a third of the population struggling to meet basic needs. In Gaza, WFP also reduced cash assistance to 75,000 families in July. While there have been slight improvements in food security indicators, two-thirds of the population still face critical and emergency levels of hunger. The World Health Organization (WHO) representative in Occupied Palestinian Territory, Dr. Renee van de Werdt, highlighted a catastrophic water situation in Gaza, with microbiological cont...

UN World Food Program Halves West Bank Aid, Warns of Further Gaza Cuts Due to Funding Shortages

UN World Food Program Halves West Bank Aid, Warns of Further Gaza Cuts Due to Funding Shortages

The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) announced it is halving food assistance in the Israeli-occupied West Bank due to severe funding shortages. Starting this month, assistance will be reduced from 400,000 people to 200,000. The WFP also warned that further cuts may be necessary in Gaza, where it currently supports 1.5 million people. In July, the WFP already reduced the value of cash assistance by 40% for 375,000 people in Gaza. Claire Nevill, WFP spokesperson for the Palestinian territories, stated that additional cuts in Gaza are unavoidable unless new funding is secured. The WFP urgently requires an additional $386 million over the next six months to assist an estimated 2 million food-insecure people across both Gaza and the West Bank. The agency's report indicates that 900,000 people in the West Bank are food insecure, with increased violence, displacement, and economic deterioration disrupting livelihoods and deepening hunger. Food needs in the region have more than doubled since 2023.

UN World Food Programme Reduces Food Aid to West Bank Amid Funding Crisis

UN World Food Programme Reduces Food Aid to West Bank Amid Funding Crisis

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has significantly cut food assistance in the West Bank, reducing support by half to 200,000 people from an original 400,000. This drastic measure is a direct consequence of severe funding constraints faced by the WFP. The region is experiencing escalating food insecurity, with an estimated 900,000 individuals now classified as food insecure. The WFP has been compelled to prioritize aid for the most vulnerable populations, while simultaneously scaling back assistance to others who are also in need, due to the critical shortfall in financial resources. This reduction highlights a growing humanitarian crisis in the West Bank, where a large portion of the population relies on external aid for basic sustenance. The decision underscores the difficult choices humanitarian organizations must make when faced with insufficient funding to meet widespread needs.

US military says it's striking targets in Iran, and other Mideast news

US military says it's striking targets in Iran, and other Mideast news

The United States military says that it struck new targets in Iran as hostilities flared again after a month without military action

Gaza Journalists Allege Targeting and Abuse in Israeli Prisons, Citing Professional Work as Reason for Detention

Gaza Journalists Allege Targeting and Abuse in Israeli Prisons, Citing Professional Work as Reason for Detention

Palestinian journalists released from Israeli prisons, including Yousef Sharaf and Alaa Al-Sarraj, have reported experiencing beatings, torture, humiliation, and deprivation during their detention. Their testimonies, consistent with those documented by Reporters Without Borders and the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, indicate that their journalistic work and professional networks were central to interrogations. Sharaf, arrested on March 19, 2024, after his home was bombed, stated that Israeli soldiers knew he was a journalist and explicitly told him they were there to 'arrest journalists.' Al-Sarraj, arrested in November 2023, similarly reported that his profession became the focus of his interrogation at Sde Teiman, an Israeli military base. Both journalists described severe physical abuse and a lack of medical care, with Sharaf recounting an improvised surgery performed with a razor blade and chlorine due to denied treatment. The Office of the UN Hig...

Rohingya Refugee Crisis in Bangladesh Intensifies Amid Shrinking International Funding

Rohingya Refugee Crisis in Bangladesh Intensifies Amid Shrinking International Funding

Bangladesh is facing an escalating burden in hosting the 1.2 million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, as international funding for humanitarian assistance continues to decline. The situation, now nine years into the influx, is deemed unsustainable by officials, with conditions in the Cox's Bazar camps deteriorating. The Rohingya population has grown significantly, with approximately 260,000 children born in the camps since the 2017 military crackdown in Rakhine State, and an additional 154,690 Rohingyas arriving since 2023 due to intensified fighting. Despite the growing population, funding for the humanitarian response has sharply decreased. In 2025, only 46% of the required $934.5 million was received, and for 2026, the UN and its partners are seeking a reduced amount of $710.5 million, primarily due to a global shortage of humanitarian financing.

Iran's leader calls for Muslim unity and other Mideast news

Iran's leader calls for Muslim unity and other Mideast news

Iran’s supreme leader has called for Muslim countries to stand together against Israel and the United States

United Nations Organizations Offer Job Opportunities in United Arab Emirates

United Nations Organizations Offer Job Opportunities in United Arab Emirates

Several United Nations organizations are currently offering job opportunities in the United Arab Emirates, with positions available in cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi, as well as across the UAE. These roles span various fields, including program management, investment, skills development, and IT emergency coordination. For instance, the World Bank has an opening for an Investment Officer in Dubai and Istanbul, while the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is seeking a Skills Development Assistant and Skills Coordination Interns in Dubai. The World Food Programme (WFP) has listings for IT Emergency Coordinators, and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is looking for a Programme Management Officer in Abu Dhabi. These positions reflect the diverse operational needs of UN agencies in the region.

World Food Programme Warns of 49 Million More Facing Acute Hunger Due to El Niño

World Food Programme Warns of 49 Million More Facing Acute Hunger Due to El Niño

The World Food Programme (WFP) has issued a stark warning that a powerful El Niño weather event could push an additional 49 million people into acute food insecurity by the end of next year. This projection is based on an analysis of 45 countries, indicating a potential 22% increase from the current baseline of individuals already experiencing crisis-level food insecurity. The UN agency's report highlights an 81% chance of a very strong El Niño, with sea surface temperatures reaching their warmest levels since at least 1982, potentially making it the most intense event since 1950. Historically, El Niño alters global weather patterns, leading to droughts in Southern Africa, delayed monsoons in parts of Asia, and erratic rainfall elsewhere. Jean-Martin Bauer, director of WFP’s Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Service, emphasized that such events have previously triggered widespread hunger.

UNICEF Calls for Unimpeded Humanitarian Access in Gaza Amidst Child Casualties and Infrastructure Damage

UNICEF Calls for Unimpeded Humanitarian Access in Gaza Amidst Child Casualties and Infrastructure Damage

UNICEF has issued an urgent call for the full respect of international humanitarian and human rights law in Gaza, following reports of at least four children killed and numerous others injured within the past five days. The organization highlights that attacks have also destroyed a warehouse containing over US$770,000 worth of UNICEF nutrition supplies, intended for more than 40,500 vulnerable children and 4,900 pregnant and breastfeeding women. Additionally, a UNICEF-supported water well and desalination facility in the Deir Al Balah area, which provides safe drinking water to over 4,000 people, including 2,000 children, was severely damaged by a nearby strike. These incidents further undermine access to essential services for children and families already struggling to survive. UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Edouard Beigbeder, emphasized that the destruction of vital supplies and damage to essential services deepen the suffering of the affected population.