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WCK & local partners support Haitians amid widespread unrest

#ChefsForHaiti
Haiti | Active from March – August 2024
World Central Kitchen worked with local organizations on the ground in Haiti to provide meals to communities impacted by ongoing unrest. Alongside healthcare and NGO partners, we established a distribution system to support hospitals and displaced families.

Social and political unrest escalated over the past months, compounding an existing humanitarian crisis in Haiti. Widespread violence in Port-au-Prince, the nation’s capital, displaced thousands of families.

To ensure we could support Haitians in as many ways as possible, we connected with local and international organizations, along with local women entrepreneurs whose businesses were disrupted by the chaos. These women work as food vendors and with WCK’s support they were again able to cook for their local communities. 

WCK’s origins trace back to Haiti when José cooked alongside displaced families following the devastating 2010 earthquake. Since then, we have responded to four crises in the country, including a hurricane, earthquake, and the Covid-19 pandemic.

By the numbers

751,000+

Hot Meals Served

7,430

Meal Kits Distributed

Partner organization: Hospital Albert Schweitzer

We supported our longtime partner and cornerstone of the community, Hospital Albert Schweitzer (HAS). Their staff used local resources and HAS facilities to cook nourishing hot meals for families impacted by the violence engulfing the country.

Not only will we be feeding daily hot meals to people who are approaching starvation, but the ingredients for the meals are sourced from local farmers and providers to help support the local economy in Artibonite, which has been devastated by the chaos.

Jean Marc de Matteis

HAS CEO and WCK Board Member

Women entrepreneurs feeding their communities

These incredible women are experienced food vendors whose businesses have suffered since the country’s violent upheaval. With WCK’s support, they were once again able to cook for and serve their local communities while supporting themselves and their families.

Partner organization: CORE

In addition to cooking hundreds of thousands of meals at WCK-supported community kitchens, we worked alongside the nonprofit CORE to distribute food kits to Haitians impacted by unrest. We provided nearly 7,500 of these kits to families able to cook for themselves.

Chefs For Haiti

WCK’s origins trace back to Haiti when José cooked alongside displaced families following the devastating 2010 earthquake. Since then, we have responded to four crises in the country, including a hurricane, earthquake, and the Covid-19 pandemic.

Help us continue providing meals to families in need.

Latest from the ground

  • WCK & @HASHaiti community kitchens are scaling quickly & cooking almost 18,000 meals daily for Haitians impacted by unrest. Many children are out of school where they would receive a free meal so food like this veggie stew with rice & beans offers a lifeline. #ChefsForHaiti

    Twitter | 3/28/2024
  • WCK, alongside @HASHaiti, is providing more than 6,500 meals daily to families throughout Artibonite. Children bear the brunt of the ongoing unrest and account for over half of recipients at our meal sites. We’re ensuring they get the nourishing food they need. #ChefsForHaiti

    Twitter | 3/25/2024
  • WCK and @HASHaiti are supporting community kitchens in Haiti led by women who own food stalls in the area. The ongoing unrest makes it a challenge to run their businesses. To support them, communities, and the economy, we’re paying them to provide meals for free. #ChefsForHaiti

    Twitter | 3/24/2024