Half a million Palestinians are losing food aid. AFSC is raising funds to help cover the gap.

PHILADELPHIA (October 30, 2026) The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) has launched an emergency fundraising campaign to provide food assistance to Palestinians in Gaza. This fundraising effort comes after last week's announcement that the World Food Programme (WFP) is cutting back on aid. The majority of WFP funding comes from national governments; in 2026 WFP received half as much funding for its Palestine operation as in previous years. Half a million people in Gaza are at risk of starvation and malnutrition in the coming months.

"The reality remains that 1.4 million people in Gaza face acute hunger," said Kerri Kennedy, AFSC's Associate General Secretary for International Programs. "Behind these numbers are families struggling every day to feed their children and survive the devastation of genocide. Humanitarian assistance remains one of the few lifelines available. Any reduction in humanitarian funding risks further punishing people who have already endured unimaginable suffering."

Despite the ceasefire deal signed more than a year ago, the Israeli government continues to kill Palestinians and obstruct humanitarian aid from entering Gaza. Israel is also disrupting commercial food shipments, causing bread prices to more than double. With winter approaching, displaced families face growing needs for food, warm clothing, and adequate shelter. Donations will go towards distributing fresh vegetables, prioritizing those sourced from local farmers; delivering food parcels; and enabling bakeries to sell subsidized, affordable bread.

AFSC has been active in Gaza for decades. Since October 2023, AFSC staff in Gaza have provided lifesaving assistance to over 1.5 million displaced Palestinians. AFSC staff - despite displacement and grave personal losses - have provided food, drinking water, hygiene kits, and other critical supplies.

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The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) promotes a world free of violence, inequality, and oppression. Guided by the Quaker belief in the divine light within each person, we nurture the seeds of change and the respect for human life to fundamentally transform our societies and institutions. We work with people and partners worldwide, of all faiths and backgrounds, to meet urgent community needs, challenge injustice, and build peace.