Group is the largest food supplier in the Gaza Strip after the UN
In 2010, after a devastating earthquake hit Haiti, chef José Andrés decided to travel to the Caribbean country to help prepare meals for the population affected by the disaster. Cooking alongside Haitian families in a refugee camp, José learned the correct way to cook black beans according to Haitians, who like to eat the beans mashed and sifted into a creamy sauce.
World Central Kitchen was born there, a non-profit organization that aims to quickly distribute chef-prepared meals to communities affected by humanitarian crises.
“World Central Kitchen started with a simple idea at home with my wife Patrícia: when people are hungry, send cooks. Not tomorrow, today”says chef José Andrés in WCK official website.
Since then, World Central Kitchen has expanded its operations to Latin America and Europe, and has been present in some of the largest humanitarian crises of the century, such as the war between Russia and Ukraine and earthquakes in Asia.
The humanitarian group also has an affiliate known as the “Chef Corps,” a global network of culinary leaders who champion the work of World Central Kitchen, providing quality meals after crises.
World-renowned and award-winning chefs work as volunteers in this branch of the organization. This is the case for chef Cheetie Kumar of North Carolina, who has seen WCK grow since she participated in the culinary efforts following Hurricane Florence in 2018.
A two-time James Beard Award Foundation nominee, Kumar runs Ajja restaurant in Raleigh’s Five Points neighborhood, which draws inspiration from Mediterranean and Middle Eastern foodways and cultures.
In Brazil, WCK helped prepare meals during the heavy rains of 2022, which hit the cities of Rio Janeiro, Pernambuco and Bahia.
José Andrés, currently WCK’s food director and board member, has won numerous humanitarian awards for his work, including the National Humanities Medal, awarded by then U.S. President Barack Obama in 2015.
However, the organisation, which is one of the main providers of food aid in the Gaza Strip, announced last Tuesday (2) that it would cease all its activities in the Gaza Strip after an Israeli shelling killed seven of the organisation’s workers.
The suspension will deprive the population, suffering from extreme hunger, of a flow of essential humanitarian aid, at a time in the conflict between Israel and Hamas in which virtually all sources of food are essential to avoid an even greater humanitarian catastrophe.
The group says it runs 68 “community kitchens” in the Gaza Strip and has sent more than 1,700 truckloads of food and cooking equipment in nearly six months of war.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
