Every Drop Counts: While Food Aid Waits, WCK Water is a Lifeline
World Central Kitchen teams never stop searching for solutions and can’t sit still when their neighbors are in need of lifesaving support. Earlier this month, our Gaza warehouses emptied, our pots went cold, and our ovens sat dormant when we could no longer cook hot meals or bake bread that families depend on. No humanitarian aid has been permitted to enter Gaza since March 2, but our teams stretched limited supplies as long as possible—until May 4.
As we stay at-the-ready to pick up where we left off—131 million meals served—our resilient and resourceful Palestinian team on the ground has turned to supplying critically needed clean water.
The same pots that once held nourishing stews, lentils, and rice are now being repurposed to carry safe drinking water. So far, we have distributed more than 94,000 gallons of water from our Deir al-Balah kitchen in south Gaza. With Gaza’s desalination plants largely shut down due to fuel and electricity shortages, access to clean water has become a major challenge for communities.
WCK is currently able to deliver 26,000 gallons a day to distribution points, but there is so much more ground to cover. “Our water truck is going out for delivery to the community and hopefully in the future, we’ll be expanding this project soon,” says Shadi, WCK operations manager.
With no aid allowed into Gaza, WCK is doing everything we can to support Palestinian families. Water is the one thing we’re still able to provide—so we’re delivering it daily to people in need because every drop counts.
