In Their Honor, We Keep Cooking

 

Today we pause to remember seven members of the World Central Kitchen family killed in Gaza on April 1, 2024: Saifeddin Issam Ayad Abutaha, John Chapman, Jacob Flickinger, Zomi Frankcom, Jim Henderson, James Kirby, and Damian Soból. They were more than colleagues. They were humanitarians, teammates, and friends who believed deeply in the power of a meal to bring comfort, dignity, and hope in the hardest moments. Two years later, their absence is still deeply felt. “We will never forget the seven members of our WCK family who were killed two years ago. They were the best of humanity, feeding people they didn’t know,” said WCK Founder José Andrés. “There was and never will be any excuse for the attacks on their convoy. We demand truth and justice for them, and for all the humanitarian workers who have been killed in Gaza. We mourn the loss of all lives in this war. Civilians must never be a target of any war.” Grief does not follow a schedule. Some days it sits quietly in the background. Other days, like this one, it feels close and undeniable. For the WCK community around the world, today is a moment to reflect, to remember, and to honor who they were and what they stood for. On that day, Israeli military airstrikes hit a clearly marked WCK convoy whose movements had been coordinated in advance. Seven lives were lost in an instant. The Israel Defense Forces acknowledged responsibility for the strike and admitted to grave errors. But full accountability remains incomplete. We continue to call for everyone responsible to be held to account. What happened to our colleagues must never happen again. The protection of humanitarian workers everywhere depends on it. Even in the face of this loss, their legacy shapes everything we do. It lives on in the meals our teams serve each day in Gaza and in communities around the world facing crisis. It lives on in the care our teams bring to every kitchen, every delivery, every interaction. And it lives on in the way we show up for one another, with compassion and a shared sense of purpose. Our mission has always been simple: to feed people in times of crisis. We carry Saifeddin, John, Jacob, Zomi, Jim, James, and Damian with us in our work, in our values, and in our commitment to one another and to the people we serve. We will keep cooking. We will keep showing up. And we will honor our colleagues by doing the work they believed in. Read About Our Heroes