WCK Resumes Limited Hot Meal Service in Gaza After 5-Day Pause
After a five day pause, limited cooking operations resumed today at World Central Kitchen’s Deir al-Balah Field Kitchen in Gaza.
This marks the second time in 2025 our hot meal program has been forced to halt due to a lack of available food supplies. Our teams on the ground are showing deep commitment and resilience, starting to cook again as quickly as possible.
Access to supplies remains fragile. This most recent cooking pause began last Sunday when we ran out of essential ingredients. During the week, we were able to distribute bread and water. Our ability to continue cooking remains uncertain day-to-day.
With stock of some ingredients partly replenished, we are working to be able to serve 60,000 meals daily through our Field Kitchen and partner community kitchens—less than half what we were able to cook over the previous month. Our cooks are making the most of supplies, and distribution teams are ensuring meals reach the most vulnerable people, including staff and patients at medical facilities.
“I am immensely proud of the ongoing work of the WCK Gaza team through unimaginable challenges. It is because of them that we are able to cook again for hospitals and vulnerable families in Deir al-Balah,” said Wadhah, WCK’s Response Director.
The first disruption to cooking occurred earlier this year, when WCK operations in Gaza were paused for approximately two months due to severe supply shortages. After resuming in late June, we were able to ramp up quickly—reopening our Field Kitchens, restocking ingredients, and serving tens of thousands of hot meals daily until being forced to pause again on July 20.
Our teams adapt constantly to changing conditions and availability, but without consistent access to food, we don’t know if the team will be able to sustain operations. “What we need most is the ability to make decisions on the route, time, and convoy size of our ingredient shipments. This can allow the flow of our supplies and ensure that meals and ingredients make it to the most vulnerable Gazans,” said Wadhah.
As we again resume cooking, our focus remains on providing meals to displaced families and hospital patients and staff. At the same time, we are distributing potable water and bread to provide as much support as possible with the supplies we have on hand.
We are deeply grateful to our team on the ground. Their tireless work and courage brings meals to their fellow Palestinians facing this devastating crisis.
WCK in Gaza: 2025
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