Gaza Herald – Karl Skau, deputy executive director of the UN World Food Programme, warned that violence by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank is driving the region toward a hunger crisis. Speaking at a press conference at UN headquarters in New York on Monday, Skau highlighted the compounding effects of security failures and financial gaps.
Skau stated that recent field visits to the occupied Palestinian territories revealed burning olive groves and emptied farms during the harvest season. He emphasized that while the West Bank has long faced rights and security crises, it is now transitioning into a severe food emergency.
The official noted that food insecurity has more than doubled over the past three years. Currently, approximately 1 million Palestinians in the West Bank require food assistance. However, Skau pointed out that insufficient funding has forced the program to reduce beneficiary numbers from 400 thousand to 200 thousand in recent weeks.
He explained that the expanding scope of need makes it difficult to identify the most vulnerable groups. The lack of resources significantly limits the WFP’s capacity to respond effectively to the escalating crisis. Skau called on the international community to activate diplomatic tools to address the situation.
The agency head urged for increased support and urgent financing to ensure the continuity of food aid programs for Palestinians. He stressed that immediate action is necessary to prevent further deterioration of living conditions in the region.
Since October 7, 2023, attacks by occupation forces and settlers against Palestinians and their property have intensified in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem. These actions contribute to the growing humanitarian disaster described by UN officials.
This report was produced in the Gaza Herald newsroom.
