WFP Reaches Hundreds of Thousands of People in Gaza in First Week of the Ceasefire

GAZA/CAIRO – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) reached more than 330,000 people in Gaza with food assistance in the first week of the ceasefire, providing food boxes, hot meals and cash assistance to war-weary families.
“The first week has brought hope, but it is still early days. We must keep up this momentum,” said Antoine Renard, U.N. World Food Programme country director. “And with so many people on the move now, keen to reach their homes and reunite with their families in the north, we need to make sure they have food wherever they are. The U.N. World Food Programme’s priority is to ensure assistance follows the people.”
Here are the latest updates on U.N. World Food Programme operations in Gaza:
- The U.N. World Food Programme has brought over 22 million pounds of food into Gaza since the ceasefire. Food entered Gaza through all available corridors from Jordan, Israel and Egypt.
- For the first time in months, families in Gaza are now receiving significantly more rations – two food parcels and a 55-pound bag of wheat flour.
- In total, the U.N. World Food Programme reached more 330,000 people in the first week of the ceasefire with food parcels and hot meals.
- The U.N. World Food Programme has also distributed nutrition products to 46,000 people, including children under 5 and pregnant and breastfeeding women.
- If the ceasefire holds, the U.N. World Food Programme aims to reach 1 million people each month for the next three months. The U.N. World Food Programme has enough food pre-positioned along the borders and on its way to Gaza to feed over a million people with full rations for three months.
- A cash assistance program started on Monday, with 7,000 people reached on day one and more than 32,000 as of today. This money will enable families to meet their basic needs – not only food – as they seek to relocate and rebuild. The aim is to reach 30,000 families (150,000 people) in one month.
- Thanks to the influx of fresh supplies entering the Strip, the U.N. World Food Programme has also been able to get bakeries up and running in the south – eight old and five new ones – and prepare hot meals and deliver ready-to-eat meals to families in shelters.
- The humanitarian situation in the West Bank is also critical. The U.N. World Food Programme is ready to provide voucher assistance to approximately 3,750 people in Jenin camp, allowing them to obtain food at a local retailer or receive food parcels. Additionally, cash assistance will be provided to 12,750 displaced households affected by military operations.
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The United Nations World Food Programme is the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and the world’s leading humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.
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Contacts
Suzanne Fenton, WFP/ Cairo, Mob. +39 3421 436305
Martin Penner, WFP/ Rome, Mob. +39 345 6142074
Nina Valente, WFP/ London, Mob. +44 (0)796 8008 474
Martin Rentsch, WFP/Berlin, Mob +49 160 99 26 17 30
Jordan Cox, WFP Brussels, Mob +39 3389957376
Shaza Moghraby, WFP/New York, Mob. + 1 929 289 9867