Since 2023, World Central Kitchen’s teams in Gaza have served more than 272 million meals, 73 million loaves of bread, and 6.4 million gallons of water.
Recent ceasefire agreements have made it easier for aid organizations like World Central Kitchen to operate with “fewer interruptions” and “greater consistency.” Although the nonprofit states that violence, displacement, and food insecurity persist, World Central Kitchen is now able to provide 1 million hot meals per day in Gaza.
They are now able to serve more daily meals than ever.
“Thanks to our network of Field Kitchens, community kitchens, bakeries, and partners, more families — close to half of the total population — can count on a reliable meal each day,” World Central Kitchen shared in a recent announcement.
Humanitarian needs can intensify in areas of displacement and violence as people attempt to rebuild, and it’s clear World Central Kitchen has no intention to leave while the need remains “intense.”
“One million hot meals a day in Gaza. It’s not a statistic,” Chef José Andrés, the founder of World Central Kitchen, said in a statement.
“It’s Palestinians feeding Palestinians, cooking with dignity under impossible conditions. It’s communities refusing to give up on one another.”
While hunger is still an extreme concern for Palestinians, famine is not as dire as it was mere months ago.
“Famine has been pushed back. Far more people are able to access the food they need to survive,” United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said in December 2025.
He added, however, that 1.6 million people in Gaza — more than 75% of the population — “are projected to face extreme levels of acute food insecurity and critical malnutrition risks.”
World Central Kitchen’s service remains vital. But as Ramadan begins, their operations will shift slightly to accommodate practicing Muslims who will fast for the next month.
Fasting, or sawm, is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, and is carried out every Ramadan. During this time, Muslims will refrain from eating and drinking (except for water) between dawn and dusk. They typically eat during pre-dawn hours for suhoor and will break their fast after sundown at iftar.
Despite ongoing food insecurity in Gaza, this practice is of great importance to many in the area, and World Central Kitchen has adapted its services during Ramadan since 2023.
This year is no different.
“Ramadan is a month when the rhythms of daily life shift around food. Families fast from dawn to sunset, making suhoor and iftar essential moments of nourishment, stability, and dignity,” a statement from the organization said.
“In Gaza, where hunger is already a daily reality, those moments carry even greater weight.”
The nonprofit’s six field kitchens in Gaza are led by Palestinian chefs, cooks, and volunteers from the community, who are supported by World Central Kitchen teams and partners. By working in these community-led operations, adapting to relevant cultural norms is natural, but still requires planning.
“It requires consistency, planning, and the ability to cook and distribute food at scale, every single day,” the organization stated.
During Ramadan, World Central Kitchen will ensure that meals are available early for suhoor and in the evening when people convene for iftar.
“Ramadan also places a collective focus on feeding others and caring for the most vulnerable. The need does not pause during the month. In many cases, it intensifies,” a statement from the organization continued.
“Through our Ramadan efforts, WCK helps ensure families can observe the month with sustenance and dignity, while maintaining the daily food support that has remained active since 2023.”
In addition to its field kitchen services, which continue to distribute daily hot meals, bread, and clean water, World Central Kitchen plans to deliver 100,000 additional Ramadan food kits this year. These kits are given to families so they can eat at the necessary times without having to be immediately present at a kitchen site.
These 100,000 kits will amount to 7 million additional meals served to Palestinians during Ramadan.
“Each kit is thoughtfully assembled with halal, culturally appropriate pantry staples, proteins, grains, oils, and traditional ingredients families use every day, from rice, lentils, freekeh, and pasta to olive oil, chickpeas, tahini, tomato paste, tea, and coffee,” the organization stated.
“Alongside these kits, iftar boxes include dates, dried fruits, nuts, milk, juice, and familiar Ramadan sweets to help families break their fast with dignity.”
Although access, operations, and needs shift in Gaza from day to day, World Central Kitchen remains committed to providing consistent support.
“Ramadan reminds us that feeding people is not optional or conditional. It is a shared responsibility,” the nonprofit said.
“World Central Kitchen does not ask who you are, where you stand, or what you believe before serving a meal. We cook. We deliver. We return the next day and do it again.”
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Header image courtesy of World Central Kitchen
