World Central Kitchen, the renowned charity established by celebrity chef José Andrés, has resumed its cooking and distribution activities in Gaza, nearly seven weeks after halting operations due to an ongoing blockade by Israel. On its first operational day Saturday, the charity reported preparing around 10,000 meals, indicating a crucial response to the escalating food insecurity in the region.
The suspension of services began on May 7, when World Central Kitchen announced that it had exhausted its supplies for meal preparation as Israel instated a near-total blockade on aid deliveries in March, lasting nearly three months. Israeli officials asserted that these measures were necessary to prevent Hamas from smuggling weapons and diverting aid, yet critiques from the United Nations and various humanitarian organizations labeled the blockade a form of collective punishment. They warned of a looming hunger crisis, arguing that Israel had failed to provide proof that aid was being misused by Hamas.
In its announcement, World Central Kitchen emphasized the devastating impact that the blockade had on vulnerable families, describing it as a critical halt to daily nourishment for those already enduring immense hardship. Since October 2023, the charity has reportedly provided over 133 million meals in Gaza, making it a lifeline for many in the beleaguered territory.
Last year, World Central Kitchen faced a tragic incident that resulted in the deaths of seven staff members when their convoy was hit by Israeli strikes, drawing widespread condemnation. The Israeli military later attributed this incident to multiple failures, including a communications breakdown, leading to disciplinary actions against several officers.
Despite the re-initiation of World Central Kitchen's efforts, significant gaps in the wider aid infrastructure persist. Most humanitarian operations remain inactive in Gaza following Israel's partial resumption of aid deliveries mid-May, which have been marred by confusion and chaos, resulting in several fatalities among Palestinians seeking food supplies.
The U.N. World Food Program recently stated, “Far too many people have died while trying to access the trickle of food aid coming in,” pressing for a considerable increase in food distribution to stabilize the conditions in Gaza and restore community trust. Abdel Nasser al-Ajrami, head of Gaza’s bakers' union, indicated that U.N.-endorsed kitchens were still not operational, highlighting the overwhelming desperation that complicates management in the region.
