World Central Kitchen Halted Humanitarian Efforts in Rafah
Back in April, a devastating tragedy unfolded when an Israeli military air attack struck a relief convoy used by the US non-profit organization World Central Kitchen (WCK), resulting in the deaths of seven of its employees while they were distributing aid. As a precautionary measure, WCK had to halt its operations for a month. With the escalating danger, the organization is now taking preventive actions.
On its website, the US charity World Central Kitchen announced the suspension of its operations in a devastated part of Rafah located in the southern Gaza Strip. They stated, "As Israeli operations in Rafah continue, hundreds of families have been displaced." The relentless assaults forced the aid group to close their main kitchen in Rafah and move several of their community kitchens to safer areas.
The organization led by celebrated chef José Andrés had just restarted its efforts in the Gaza Strip after a deadly strike on their convoy on April 1st. Prior to that incident, WCK had suspended all aid efforts throughout the Palestinian territories. Among the fallen were employees from countries like Australia, Great Britain, Poland, and Canada. The Israeli army would later describe this as a "regrettable mistake."
The WCK has been providing food assistance to Palestinian residents since the conflict between Israel and the radical Islamist group Hamas in Gaza started in October. The charity was also engaging in organizing food supplies via sea voyages. In Rafah, where the entire city is situated in the southernmost corner of the Gaza Strip near the Egyptian border, fierce fighting and attacks have intensified considerably in recent times.
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