A challenging response in the Middle East
In Gaza, Israel, and surrounding countries, World Central Kitchen is working with partners to serve meals to families impacted by the extreme escalation of violence and ensuing humanitarian crisis. The conflict is rapidly exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation for the 2.4 million people living in Gaza and has displaced an estimated 200,000 people in Israel. The situation is escalating quickly across the region and people caught in the crossfire are in urgent need of support.
WCK teams on the ground have established a network of partners that are providing thousands of meals daily to impacted families in Gaza, Israel, Egypt, and Lebanon. Working alongside these NGOs, restaurant, and catering partners, we have been able to scale up our operations quickly. In just over two weeks, our partners in Israel have served over 200,000 meals, and our partner in Gaza provided more than 1.4 million meals—both in the form of cooked meals, as well as kits of produce and dry goods that can sustain a family for several days.
Gaza
WCK is working with Anera—our longtime partner on the ground—who has tapped into their network across the territory to locally source supplies to cook hot meals and assemble food kits. Their team has been working nonstop to access and distribute food and water resources that were within the borders before the total blockade of Gaza began. But the clock is ticking, and resources are running low. “The situation is growing even more dire,” said Sandra Rasheed, Anera’s country director in Palestine. “However, our team on the ground is working tirelessly to provide essential aid.”
Top: Anera’s team plating meals and counting food kits. | Bottom: Onions and tomatoes sit ready to be packed into produce kits.
In total, including hot meals, food kits with several days’ worth of meals, and produce kits with fruits and vegetables, Anera has distributed more than 1.4 million meals to Palestinians and anyone else in need. They are supporting families in Gaza City and further north, which are under constant bombardment, and further south in Khan Yunis, where many people have fled seeking safety.
In Gaza City, WCK is also supporting Anera’s team in delivering food kits to a hospital where many of the cancer patients receiving treatment are children. “These food parcels will help support the children and their families, as there is currently no food available for them at the hospital,” explained Sandra. “Working in coordination with the Palestine Red Crescent, we provided these families with enough food to last them for at least six days.” Meanwhile, the hot meals delivered in Khan Yunis are going to families who have fled south and are staying in shelters run by the United Nations.
Anera’s team moving food and produce kits to distribution sites.
Besides food, potable water is another urgent need. We continue planning for the near future, and our team in Egypt is coordinating with water-focused organizations so we are prepared to get clean water into Gaza as soon as the border opens to more humanitarian aid convoys.
While WCK is providing funding and as much remote logistical support as we can, Anera’s team is the one carrying out this incredible effort for the people of Gaza—even despite their personal losses. “Two of our staff lost several family members. One of them lost ten family members to a bomb and one lost 16 family members to a bomb,” said Sean Carroll, Anera’s President and CEO, during a recent interview on NPR. “It’s hard to believe and understand that those words are true, even as I say them.”
Israel
In Israel, our team is working with a robust network of local restaurant and catering partners to support thousands of people who need food and water assistance. While some Israeli families living near the border with Gaza were mandatorily evacuated and are receiving government assistance, many more families have evacuated voluntarily and are not eligible for the same support. WCK is focused on serving this population of evacuees, as well as people who are working in or staying in healthcare facilities. Through these partnerships, we have served more than 200,000 meals in the country, and are meeting some of the locals who are stepping up to serve the displaced people staying in their communities.
Fresh salmon filets are ready to be baked and served alongside vegetable salads.
Maya is the chairwoman of a kibbutz on the shores of the Dead Sea, a place that is sheltering hundreds of displaced Israelis. They serve daily meals that include regional staples like eggplant, bulgur, tahini, and hummus. The children particularly like the schnitzel. “Sadness is everywhere in Israel, but with WCK’s support, we’re extending our help for a more extended period and more people,” Maya told our team. Assaf is one of the cooks in the kibbutz’s kitchen, and he said, “I’m very proud to know that there are people that keep the light on at this moment of darkness.”
Fifty miles to the south, our partner Yoav is also cooking meals for displaced people who have recently arrived in his community. “First, it’s about people finding their way after leaving home,” he said. “Then, there’s the bright side—a mission to bring smiles after all the tough things they have been through.” He took WCK staff on a tour through his kitchen, letting them sample what’s on the stove and in the oven. Of sharing food, Yoav said, “It’s about creating little moments of happiness during chaos…it’s a tale of the incredible power of simple kindness.”
Clockwise from top left: Maya shows the food they are serving | Assaf stands in the kibbutz’s kitchen | A team of volunteers pose for a group photo | Yoav shows WCK team members food fresh from the oven.
Egypt and Lebanon
In Cairo, Egypt, our team has turned a hotel conference room into our regional headquarters. We are working on connecting with local organizations, organizing supply chain logistics, and procuring resources. Like many other humanitarian organizations, we are awaiting permission to enter Gaza with aid that is so desperately needed. At the same time, we are providing meals to humanitarian workers who are on standby at the border. They are loading and driving the aid convoys that have been able to enter the territory. We are also supporting families unable to return to their homes in Gaza as a result of the blockade.
The situation continues to intensify, and now is impacting communities along the Israel-Lebanon border, where recent attacks have forced evacuations in both countries. To meet the needs of impacted families in Lebanon, we have again partnered with WCK Chef Corps member Aline Kamakian. As a Lebanese-Armenian chef, Aline was recently on the ground with our team in Armenia and is now pivoting to help WCK identify partners in Lebanon as well. It is difficult to tell what the coming days and weeks will bring, but WCK’s teams and partners are forging ahead. We are committed to feeding people, wherever they may be.
WCK’s team hard at work in the Cairo regional headquarters.
Learn more about our efforts here. For real-time updates, follow WCK on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
Help us keep cooking for families across the region.
