Gaza food kitchens still short of essentials despite ceasefire

The garlic is cooked in huge metal pots, heated over an open fire and arranged in long rows.

Chefs add canned tomatoes and peppers along with a handful of spices and stir the sauce with a large spoon.

What is prepared here is not only lunch, but also a lifeline.

American Refugee Assistance for the Near East (Anera) opened the community kitchen in Zawayda, central Gaza, after the ceasefire began six weeks ago.

Humane America operates another kitchen in Mawasi, in the southern part of the strip. BBC visited in early May.

At the time, Israel was following a two-month blockade that prevented all food and other goods from entering, and stocks were dwindling.

Now, with more food being allowed in, the situation has improved.

Anera provides hot meals to more than 20,000 people every day.

“We have gone from using 15 cans in the past to using 120 cans a day, targeting more than 30 IDP camps,” said team leader Sami Matar. “We are serving over 4,000 families, up from 900 six months ago.”

Access to food has been a concern since the war broke out in October 2023, with Israel severely restricting supplies through Gaza crossings.

This exacerbates the dire humanitarian situation. In August, famine was confirmed in Gaza City and is expected to spread to other parts of the strip.

The United Nations continues to call for more aid to be allowed in.

Today’s menu features pasta with canned vegetables and tomato sauce, seasoned with lots of spices. Sammy tasted a spoonful and nodded approvingly.

But while Anera is working to get more food brought into Gaza by its partner, the US-based humanitarian organization World Central Kitchen, vital ingredients to improve people’s diets are still missing.

“We basically only cook three types of meals a week: rice, pasta and lentils,” Mr. Matar said. “We work hard to add vegetables like bell peppers, onions and potatoes. This allows us to improve the taste and nutritional value.”

“We need more food diversity to ensure fresh vegetables and essential proteins such as meat and chicken,” he continued. “These essential items are not allowed into Gaza for the distribution of humanitarian aid.”

Currently, fresh meat and poultry are imported only by commercial sellers. They are too expensive for aid organizations to buy locally.

Since the ceasefire, Anela has only been served a meal with meat once, and the meat was canned. Anera said its kitchen also lacked utensils, packaging and gas cylinders with which cooking would be cleaner.

Six months ago, when a BBC freelance journalist visited the Mawasi kitchen, he noticed tins of food being transported to the camp in horse-drawn carriages.

Now some fuel is entering Gaza again and a small truck is being used to deliver food to where the crowds are waiting.

Pasta is a popular choice.

A little red-haired boy screamed with joy. “Sweet corn and all!” he exclaimed.

The other kids laughed and immediately sat on the floor and started eating the pasta with their hands.

The United Nations said the number of meals distributed daily in Gaza through a network of kitchens run by different organizations has reached 1.4 million in the past week, compared with less than 1 million a month ago. The total population of the area exceeds 2 million.

Anera has a vetted list of people who can receive assistance at tent camps. Most come from northern Gaza, their homes destroyed in the war, bereaved and penniless.

“We live off the community kitchen takia,” said Aida Salha from Gaza City. “They brought us food, water and bread. Bread maybe once a week or every four days.”

The mother of six was living with other relatives in a borrowed tent, which she said collapsed on them during recent heavy rains.

“I swear nothing has changed since the ceasefire,” she continued. “We are pleased that the ongoing bloodshed has stopped.”

Aid agencies are pushing Israel to open all five crossing points into Gaza; currently only three are operational.

They also want operational restrictions on some established humanitarian organizations – restrictions caused by Israeli registration issues – to be eased so that they can bring their own supplies.

Currently, the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) reports that one in four households in Gaza only eats one meal a day.

Prices of basic commodities such as vegetables, sunflower oil and flour on local markets have fallen but are still well above pre-war levels two years ago, the report said.

Surveys show that two-thirds of households report having difficulty buying food – almost in all cases due to a lack of cash.

Abdul Karim Abdul Hadi, a father of seven from Jabaliya in northern Gaza who receives food from Anela, said: “The war is in its third year and I have no money – no gold, no property. I am completely wiped out.”

“My son was martyred. All four floors of our house were destroyed. We lost two cars. We are completely devastated. We live in a catastrophic situation every day.”

With the arrival of cold, wet weather, life becomes increasingly difficult.

Aid workers like Sami Matar go to great lengths to help people in the camps.

“The conversations we’re having with families in refugee camps are heartbreaking,” he said.

“The overwhelming feeling is one of deep uncertainty and exhaustion. They see no clear path back home. They worry about how to keep their children warm and fed.”

People are waiting to see what happens next after the United Nations Security Council approved Trump’s Gaza blueprint this week.

They know the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas remains uneasy, but there is an urgent need to maintain it.

“The hope for the future is very simple,” Mr. Matar said. “People want to live in a safe place where they can cook a hot meal for their children with love and dignity.”