Japan’s Support Helps WFP Aid Gaza, West Bank Crisis
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has welcomed the lifesaving contribution of JPY 500 million (US$3.3 million) from Japan to provide emergency food and nutrition assistance to Palestinians facing severe food insecurity due to the conflict in Gaza and also escalating violence in the West Bank.
WFP remains committed to reaching those most in need in Gaza and the West Bank despite continuing operational challenges. Thanks to the generous and unwavering support of theGovernment of Japan, WFP teams will be able to sustain a humanitarian response on the ground. This contribution will enable the procurement of Japanese canned fish and wheat flour, providing nutritious and essential meals for approximately 348,270 severely food-insecure people in Gaza.
Since the beginning of this emergency, Japan’s flexibility and understanding of the humanitarian context in Gaza and the West Bank have empowered WFP to act faster, reach further, and respond more effectively to the evolving needs on the ground, particularly in the Gaza Strip, where humanitarian needs are most acute.
Mr. ARAIKE Katsuhiko, H.E. Ambassador for Palestinian Affairs, said: “The Gaza Strip is facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, with the majority of its population facing the devastating threat of acute food insecurity. In the West Bank, many Palestinians are also facing a significant deterioration in their socio-economic conditions due to military operations and movement restrictions. Japan highly commends the efforts of WFP to respond these dire circumstances despite continuing operational challenges, and we hope that this assistance can alleviate the plight of the Palestinian people.”
Continued hostilities, destruction, displacement and hunger have pushed over two million people to full dependency on humanitarian assistance. The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification report findings show the worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out in the Gaza Strip. As the conflict in Gaza persists, escalating violence and movement restrictions have severely disrupted daily life and economic activity in the West Bank, with severe humanitarian consequences. WFP estimates that the ongoing escalation could drive at least 600,000 people in the West Bank into food insecurity.
“I meet families who have lost everything and don’t know where their next meal will come from. The situation is dire and is pushing hundreds of thousands deeper into hunger,” says Antoine Renard, WFP Representative and Country Director in Palestine. “We extend our profound appreciation to the people of Japan. Thanks to this unwavering support, WFP can continue procuring life-saving food assistance, but we urgently need a ceasefire and sustained access to reach those most at risk and prevent a full-scale famine.”
WFP stands ready to deliver food assistance to approximately 2 million people across Gaza, contingent upon the establishment of an enabling environment. While limited border openings have allowed some aid to enter, the population urgently requires increased support to avert famine-like conditions and restore collapsed food systems. This vital lifeline is sustained through generous contributions from donors such as the Government of Japan.
Having extended its steadfast support to WFP, making substantial contributions of around US$ 50 million over the past five years, including over US$ 34 million since the outbreak of the current conflict, Japan stands among WFP’s pivotal donors in Palestine and is one of the foremost contributors to WFP’s emergency operations in Gaza and the West Bank since the outbreak of the current conflict.
https://www.wfp.org/news/japans-steadfast-commitment-enables-wfp-continue-responding-grave-needs-gaza-and-west-bank