Jerusalem - The United Nations World Food Programme has launched an emergency operation to help feed about half a million non-refugee Palestinians no longer able to afford their basic needs amid dramatically deteriorating living conditions in the Palestinian Territories.
"Hunger and malnutrition are rapidly increasing among the Palestinians. Even when food is available in some of the markets, many impoverished Palestinians have become increasingly unable to meet all their food needs," said WFP Regional Director Khaled Adly who has recently visited the territories.
"The situation is quite alarming and an increasing number of families over the past six months have been forced to reduce their food intake to make ends meet."
WFP hopes to help the most needy 500,000 Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip with about 70,000 tons of food to provide for their basic needs until the end of the year. With about 29,000 tons of food already covered, this eight-month operation is short of about 41,000 tons of food worth over US$18 million.
"Hunger and malnutrition are rapidly increasing among the Palestinians. Even when food is available in some of the markets, many impoverished Palestinians have become increasingly unable to meet all their food needs," said WFP Regional Director Khaled Adly who has recently visited the territories.
"The situation is quite alarming and an increasing number of families over the past six months have been forced to reduce their food intake to make ends meet."
WFP hopes to help the most needy 500,000 Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip with about 70,000 tons of food to provide for their basic needs until the end of the year. With about 29,000 tons of food already covered, this eight-month operation is short of about 41,000 tons of food worth over US$18 million.