GAZA: The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has initiated an emergency operation to provide essential food assistance to over 800,000 people trapped in Gaza and the West Bank, as they face dire circumstances, lacking access to food, water, and essential supplies.
The organization urgently called for the establishment of humanitarian corridors to facilitate the entry of aid and humanitarian assistance into Gaza. WFP appeals for safe and unobstructed passage for its staff and essential commodities, emphasizing the critical need for immediate access and funding to address the escalating humanitarian crisis.
The WFP stated that it urgently required $17.3 million in the next four weeks to address the critical situation. Distribution efforts are already underway; on Monday, WFP, in collaboration with UNRWA, distributed ready-to-eat food to 73,000 people. Ongoing distributions are targeting displaced people in shelters in Gaza, where concerns are rising due to depleting resources such as food, water, and electricity. Damaged infrastructure is severely impeding both food production and distribution networks, exacerbating the crisis.
#Palestine: Today WFP started the distribution of fresh bread, canned food, and ready-to-eat foods to around 100,000 people who sought refuge in @UNRWA shelters in Gaza — with plans to reach more than 800,000 affected people in #Gaza and the #WestBank. pic.twitter.com/q84ErrZWmg
— World Food Programme (@WFP) October 10, 2023
World Food Programme Operations in Gaza and West Bank
The WFP is also initiating the distribution of cash-based transfers to 164,000 people in Gaza and the West Bank. These transfers involve electronic vouchers that can be redeemed for food items in local shops. However, the organization expressed concerns about the availability of food in local shops, as supplies are rapidly running out.
In the coming days, pending the replenishment of food stocks through the opening of humanitarian corridors, the WFP plans to distribute food to 300,000 people in host communities. Additionally, cash-based platforms will be made available to humanitarian partners, further extending support to those in urgent need. The call for humanitarian corridors remains a critical priority to ensure the timely and efficient delivery of aid to those affected by the ongoing crisis in the region.
