How WCK is Supporting Families Rebuilding in Gaza
Following the news of the ceasefire, World Central Kitchen is adapting to support Palestinians returning to their communities. To date, we have served more than 110 million meals to families in Gaza. Now, as people move back to the areas they fled months ago, we are ensuring our teams can provide the support they need.
In the north, conditions have allowed some businesses to reopen. As a result, we have partnered with restaurants to immediately begin serving warm meals to families around hard-hit Gaza City. Cooks at these restaurants are preparing hundreds of meals daily and quickly scaling up. The food is distributed via local NGO partners to families, with a special focus on people receiving medical attention.
In central and southern Gaza, WCK kitchen teams are maximizing recent supply deliveries to cook tens of thousands of meals daily. The team is keeping the needs of families in mind and packaging many meals specifically for families on the move. Meals are accompanied by freshly baked pita from our mobile bakery. The high-capacity, automated machine on wheels is capable of producing up to 3,000 pitas an hour.
For many of our cooks, providing meals is about more than just food—it is a way to stand in solidarity with their communities. Hazem, a cook in one of our kitchens, fled the north months ago in search of safety. Now, as his family returns home, he has chosen to stay behind to continue cooking for others in need.
“I am happy to stand with my people during these times,” Hazem said. “It fills me with pride to offer something meaningful in times of need.”
I am happy to stand with my people during these times. It fills me with pride to offer something meaningful in times of need.
Hazem
Alaa, a cook at WCK’s kitchen in Mawasi, feels the same way. “It’s wonderful to be part of this support, especially when people need a warm meal,” she said. The kitchen, which has been operating for more than eight months, was initially set up to feed people fleeing fighting in Rafah. Now, as families begin returning to their communities, it remains a beacon of hope, providing meals to Palestinians rebuilding their lives.
WCK is also partnering with local organizations to provide nutrient-rich snacks—milk, juice, halva, and dates—for people receiving medical care on their way to northern Gaza. Families can find support at health centers near the Netzarim corridor, which divides the north and south.
For children in Gaza, daily life is filled with uncertainty. WCK teams are working to create moments of joy. In Khan Younis, we partnered with Insan, a local organization, to organize events for a safe and happy space where kids can play. The kids have strong memories of the meals that brought their families together before being displaced.
Sabah is one of many children who wait patiently when WCK teams arrive daily with meals where she is sheltering in southern Gaza. This week, we served her favorite dish—a bean stew that reminded her of her grandmother. She told us that our version tasted just like what she would eat at home. Moments like these show how food connects us to home, family, and community..
Through every meal served, we send a message: You are not alone.
