December 5, 2024 Update
WCK’s Gaza Team Resumes Cooking
We resumed cooking at WCK’s southern and central Gaza kitchens today. Our team is eager to get back to work, preparing nourishing meals for displaced families in camps and medical facilities. Our work was paused following an Israeli airstrike on a vehicle carrying WCK colleagues on November 30.
Today we are back for the people of Gaza to ensure nobody goes hungry. The people of Gaza are not alone. As a team we are doing everything to provide meals and hope.
Shadi
WCK Gaza Operations Manager
WCK’s Gaza Team cooks and distributes meals on December 5, 2024.
One Year in the Middle East
Humanity First
Since early October 2023, families in Gaza, Israel, and Lebanon have been reeling from devastating conflict that has caused profound loss of life and forced millions to flee their homes. Innocent families are caught in the middle of the escalating violence. Our teams are committed to providing aid to anyone who needs it and are continuously adapting our response to reach more people. Follow our journey by viewing the following timeline and video.
Chefs For Gaza
In Gaza, relentless shelling and a ground offensive have killed tens of thousands of civilians and forced nearly two million more from their homes. The conflict has exacerbated an already dire humanitarian crisis caused by a years-long blockade. Palestinians are struggling to access water, food, and the means to cook for their families. Despite restrictions on humanitarian aid entering Gaza, our teams have provided 70 million meals by land, sea, and air. We established four large-capacity Field Kitchens in southern and central Gaza and are working with local partners to distribute food in the north. We have also built a network of Palestinian-led, WCK-supported community kitchens that produce thousands of meals every day.
Palestinian Voices
Hear from our staff in Gaza who work hard every day to cook and distribute nourishing food.
WCK values shine through in Gaza
Our Gaza team members embody WCK’s core values of empathy, adaptability, resilience, and collaboration. We invite you to read some of their inspiring stories.
Khaled
“We spend the entire day thinking and trying to get food. The war imposed on us famine and the lack of the minimum necessities of life. But hope was always there, sent by WCK, which did not forget to help us and always provide us with meals.”
Loai
“We crafted this clay oven to bake bread and feed our children. These are earnest efforts to survive.”
Ahmed
“Since the beginning of the war, my family and I have been suffering scourges: no food, no drink, and none of the necessities of life. WCK did not leave us alone and always provided us with assistance.”
Meet our partner in Gaza: Anera
Anera is one of WCK’s partners in Gaza and their organization has been focused on helping Palestinians for decades. Their staff on the ground is doing everything possible to deliver meals to families in hard-to-reach places, even while suffering personal losses of family members and friends.
I always have to hope, I’m always an optimist. I’m on the side of humanity and humanitarianism.
Sean Carroll
President and CEO of Anera
Chefs For Lebanon
In Lebanon, there have been constant hostilities along the Israel-Lebanon border that have displaced over 100,000 Lebanese. A massive increase in Israeli attacks throughout Lebanon starting in September 2024 have displaced another 92,000 people, creating even more acute food needs. WCK and our partners across the country are serving tens of thousands of hot meals every day, with a focus on comforting and hearty Lebanese flavors. Meanwhile, natural disasters don’t stop during conflicts: severe flooding in northern Lebanon last winter destroyed homes and roads. WCK, working alongside our local partners, acted quickly to support communities impacted by the flooding.
WCK scaling up efforts in Lebanon
World Central Kitchen is ramping up our meal production in Lebanon to address the escalating humanitarian crisis and mounting civilian casualties as Israel targets Hezbollah in Lebanon, widening the war in the region. Led by Chef Corps member Aline Kamakian, our team is working tirelessly to meet the urgent needs of families affected.
Sobhiye
Sobhiye and her daughters fled from southern Lebanon in 2023 and they have been receiving WCK hot meals in their shelter. Sobhiye thanked our teams for providing the meals to her family, she said it was as if we had lifted a burden from their shoulders.
Chef Layth
Chef Layth has been working with WCK in Lebanon since October 2023. He cooks not just to serve food, but to prove that even in the hardest moments, kindness creates moments of peace.
Maro
Maro began working with WCK more recently, but has already become known as the mother in the kitchen. Her warmth, kindness, and love of cooking are truly infectious.
Chefs For Israel
In Israel, tens of thousands of Israeli civilians have been forced to evacuate due to the escalating conflict along the northern border. Thousands of vulnerable individuals—mostly seniors and disabled people—remain unable to flee due to medical limitations and are caught in the border crossfire. WCK is providing these groups with nutritious hot meals, along with dry and fresh food supplies. Many have been confined to their homes and shelters for months, as missiles continue to hit the region multiple times a day. Our efforts ensure they receive essential nourishment and a touch of humanity during this ongoing crisis. As Israeli hostages returned home, we delivered meals to the hospitals where they received checkups and were reunited with their families.
Assaf
“I’m very proud to know that there are people that keep the light on at this moment of darkness.”
Maya
“When a crisis happens, food Is like a hug. That’s why it is essential to cook healthy, wholesome food. Working for the WCK gives strength and validation to our efforts.”
Rachel
“Without WCK, we couldn’t prepare food for thousands of people. It is so incredible that these people can receive warm food and know that people are caring for them.”
Help us provide food to families in need.
