Food relief organization World Central Kitchen (WCK) has hit pause on its Gaza operations after 18 months of serving over 130 million meals and 26 million loaves of bread. The stoppage comes as humanitarian supplies dwindle to critically low levels, leaving kitchens empty and lines of hungry families growing. 🌍
“Our stoves are cold, our flour sacks are empty, and the need has never been greater,” WCK shared in a statement, pointing to border closures by Israel since early March as the catalyst for the crisis. Over 80% of community kitchens in Gaza have run out of food stockpiles provided by the NGO, with some families now relying on raw wheat or animal feed to survive.
The Breaking Point 🔥
The shutdown of WCK’s operations—including their massive bakery—could deepen Gaza’s hunger crisis, warns Amjad Shawa of the Palestinian Non-Governmental Organizations Network. “Children and the elderly will suffer most,” he told Xinhua, urging immediate international intervention. The UN has echoed concerns, reporting alarming signs of acute malnutrition and a potential “humanitarian catastrophe.”
Behind the Blockades 🚧
Gaza’s lifeline for aid was severed in March after Israel closed border crossings linked to the expiration of a ceasefire deal with Hamas. For WCK, this meant zero food resupplies to their kitchens—now reduced to handing out remaining canned goods. “No pasta, no bread, no ingredients to cook,” the NGO stated. Meanwhile, global leaders face mounting pressure to broker solutions before hunger claims more lives.
