WCK Marks Solemn Anniversary With Perseverance and Hope
World Central Kitchen has been on the ground in the Middle East for two years, cooking and caring for families caught in devastating violence and humanitarian crisis. From the earliest days of the conflict, our teams have stood alongside both Israelis and Palestinians—listening, adapting, and doing whatever it takes to provide nourishment and comfort. The strength and commitment of our teams allow us to show up every single day for families across the region.
Through every phase of the crisis, WCK has remained unwavering in our mission: to feed communities in need, no matter the challenges. In Israel, we are continuing to provide meals to people in need, and have provided almost two million meals since October 7, 2023, including to former hostages and their families. In Gaza, when supply routes closed, our teams developed new ways to deliver support. When kitchens were destroyed, new ones were built. When cooking fuel ran scarce, our local engineers and chefs innovated tirelessly to keep cooking.
Today, WCK’s operation is the largest single daily source of hot meals in Gaza. The more than 430,000 meals our teams prepare each day account for over half of all meals served across the region. Palestinians are serving Palestinians with dignity and honor. Yet we know the need continues to grow, and we are not resting.
This month, WCK opened the Salam Field Kitchen in Deir al-Balah, which has the capacity to prepare 150,000 meals daily. Soon, another large-scale kitchen—the Hayat Field Kitchen in Mawasi—will open, adding even greater capacity to our expanding network. Together, these new kitchens enhance our ability to achieve our goal of serving one million hot meals daily.
With each meal we serve, we reaffirm a simple belief: food is a powerful act of hope that brings communities together. This day, after two years of terrible pain and suffering, we are cooking with hopeful anticipation that this war may soon come to a close, and with it, a surge in humanitarian aid and the beginning of a long healing process.
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