WCK maritime aid delivered in northern Gaza

 

In this newsletter: Latest from Gaza | Upcoming Virtual Event Operation Safeena: Aid shipment reaches northern Gaza World Central Kitchen provided almost 200 tons of food in northern Gaza that arrived on our first maritime aid shipment. The food that reached families facing starvation arrived aboard the first humanitarian shipment to reach the Gazan coast in nearly two decades. Alongside local and international partners, WCK has provided more than 39 million meals by land, sea, and air to Palestinians in need. Today’s delivery of rice, flour, legumes, vegetables, and proteins to families in the north, where access to aid is highly restricted, proves desperately needed food can be delivered by sea. In addition to the food that arrived by sea on the Open Arms boat, today’s convoy to the north also carried ready-to-eat meals.  For months, our teams across the region have worked nonstop to open this maritime aid route into Gaza. We are sourcing and loading food onto boats in Cyprus and built our own jetty in Gaza using rubble, including from bombed buildings, to safely unload cargo.   WCK will eventually be able to provide “huge quantities of food daily into the shores of Gaza,” said José Andrés, WCK’s founder. Our teams are currently preparing to dispatch our second maritime shipment that will include food and heavy machinery that will expedite the offloading process. WCK's next maritime shipment will include food and heavy machinery to expedite offloading.  Still, much more needs to be done. José has called for a ceasefire and opening of as many land crossings as possible as the best ways to ensure Palestinians get the meals and water they need. To date, we have dispatched more than 1,500 trucks and know that many more are needed to meet the urgent needs of communities all across Gaza.   At the same time we deliver food to northern Gaza, WCK is supporting families fleeing south who pass through our Welcome Center in Deir al-Balah. Watch the video below to see how our team here greets Palestinians with nourishing meals.  Join us for a virtual event with our Gaza Team As we approach the six-month-mark of our work in Gaza, we invite you to a virtual briefing with our team to learn more about the logistical innovation behind providing crucial aid to people in need. We will discuss the challenges, honor the successes, and hear firsthand from our Palestinian teammates about the impact of our work on the ground. RSVP today!