The World Central Kitchen (WCK) charity, headquartered in Washington, recently celebrated a significant milestone in its humanitarian efforts, having delivered 50 million meals to Palestinians in the strife-torn Gaza region. Tragically, the non-profit had to halt operations in April following the deaths of seven of its staff during an Israeli aerial attack.
As Linda Roth, communications head at WCK, detailed the charity runs 65 communal kitchens spanning the Gaza Strip, along with two primary kitchens situated in Deir al-Balah and al-Mawasi. These areas are home to a million Palestinians displaced due to Israel’s offensive in Rafah. Another primary kitchen in Rafah is currently shut; however, the charity is proactively seeking a fourth location.
The relief organization not only provides cooked food but also offers ready-to-consume meals in boxes, amounting to a staggering 250,000 meals per day. “We have 400 members of the Palestinian Response Corps and countless local volunteers; it’s Palestinians feeding Palestinians,” said Roth. Notably, while 100 lorries full of supplies managed to cross the border from Egypt last week, WCK has plans to establish a fresh supply route via Jordan.
The non-profit’s forthcoming mid-June menu is expected to feature lamb, often consumed during Eid al-Adha, the Islamic feast that celebrates the annual pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina.
The Israeli drone strikes targeting their vehicles in April led to the untimely deaths of seven workers – one Palestinian and six from western countries. This incident, given WCK’s global reputation and work across various countries, elicited ample international outrage. Jose Andres, a famous chef and WCK’s founder, called the decision to recommence operations on April 29, “the most challenging yet simplest choice we had to make”.
John Torpey, the regional activation manager of the group, mentioned that enhanced coordination efforts between Israel and WCK are in place in the wake of this tragedy. The relief organization is vigilantly ensuring everything is verified and cross-checking to avoid any similar episodes. He added, “Israel is providing as much information as it can to err on the side of caution.”
Torpey proclaimed that following the commencement of the Rafah siege by Israel on the 6th of May, carefully executed attacks started happening close to their locations. As a result, they swiftly prioritised security measures and evacuated their personnel. Consequently, Rafah is currently mostly vacant of WCK personnel. This situation also applies to Northern Gaza due to the Israel-imposed blockade and persistent instability.
Concurrently with WCK’s briefing, a report indicates that Northern Gaza is likely experiencing famine. This information is provided by Famine Early Warning Systems Network, funded by the U.S, which struggles with data collection due to the ongoing warfare. Last month, the head of the World Food Programme, Cindy McCain, expressed her belief that this area is in the grips of a severe famine. The health ministry in Gaza has reported that the number of famine-related deaths among hospital patients currently stands at 37. There is an absence of data regarding fatalities among Gaza residents at home. Meanwhile, there is a severe shortage of medication needed to treat malnutrition and starvation.