7 Stories of Strength from World Central Kitchen in Gaza
In Gaza, World Central Kitchen has been working around the clock to make sure we can serve as many families as possible. Since launching our initiative to cook 1 million meals per day, our team has overcome numerous challenges, including continuous supply shortages, limited cooking spaces, and an extreme need within communities. Since May, our teams have been forced to pause operations and restart several times– for a period, only providing clean water to Gazans in need. Despite this, our teams and the communities we serve in Gaza have remained resilient and full of hope as we work towards serving 1 million meals per day. Here are some of their stories from recent months:
1. Tour our Deir al-Balah Kitchen, where thousands of meals are cooked daily for Palestinians in need.
Here’s a look at what it takes to prepare tens of thousands of meals daily in Gaza. Behind every number are people showing resilience in the face of crisis.
2. Meet Shadi, a WCK team leader in Gaza who transformed his life to serve his neighbors.
Meet Shadi, who joined WCK’s #ChefsForGaza team in December of 2023 and is now one of our leaders on the ground.
“I’m proud to be part of this mission, driven every day by a sense of duty, humanity, and hope,” he says.
3. Watch José Andrés meet WCK Gaza teams to share our goal of 1 million meals per day in Gaza.
On August 14, WCK Founder Chef José Andrés visited our teams on the ground in Gaza. While he was there, he visited our mobile bakery truck and Deir al-Balah Kitchen, where he shared a message of hope.
4. See how neighbors are stepping up for one another, with Umm Ayman caring for families in Mawasi.
At a displacement camp in Mawasi, Gaza, Umm Ayman has become a leader in her community, helping more families access food. She receives six pots—more than 1,400 meals—from WCK and carefully distributes them so no one is left out. Her strength says it all: resilience and pride are clear in the spirit of Palestinians supporting one another in the hardest times.
5. Drop into a new water station where teams are working to close the clean drinking water gap for Palestinian families.
At WCK’s Deir al-Balah water station, where thousands of families receive clean drinking water each day. With resources in Gaza critically limited, our team is working to ensure people have access to both nourishing meals and safe water.
6. See how WCK teams bring the comfort of fresh bread to Gazans with the Kotof El-khair Association.
In Gaza, our mobile bakery is still working daily to bring bread to hungry families. Local partner organizations are a huge part of reaching the people who need us.
The Kotof El-khair Association, a local group in Gaza who serves vulnerable communities, helps us distribute fresh-baked bread to families in displacement camps in central Gaza. Their latest delivery brought more than 10,000 loaves across two displacement camps and additional shelters.
7. Get to know friends Ahmad, Ayham, and Akram who lead high-impact community work with WCK Gaza’s Special Projects Team.
Ahmad, Ayham, and Akram met through their work at World Central Kitchen and quickly became a second family to one another. Together, they serve our Special Projects Team – working to find and execute opportunities to serve alongside other community-based organizations in Gaza that build on our meal efforts, like serving hospitals and children’s events and providing kitchen supplies locally. Despite the challenges, these three manage to share not just food, but holistic support for the community.
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