On Monday, celebrity chef and humanitarian José Andrés announced on Twitter that several members of his World Central Kitchen nonprofit organization were killed in Gaza. Andrés expressed his deep sadness for the loss of these individuals and emphasized that they were not faceless or nameless.
The Associated Press reported that an Israeli airstrike killed four international aid workers from the World Central Kitchen charity along with their Palestinian driver. The organization released a statement on social media condemning the tragedy and stressing that humanitarian aid workers and civilians should never be targeted.
In 2010, José Andrés founded World Central Kitchen, a nonprofit dedicated to cooking and delivering meals to people in need following social and environmental disasters. The organization was the focus of the 2022 National Geographic documentary “We Feed People,” which highlighted the importance of food as a necessity for humans, especially during emergencies.
José Andrés continued to advocate for food as a fundamental human need in difficult circumstances during the war between Israel and Hamas, which has been ongoing since October 7 when terrorist attacks by Hamas led to violence in Gaza. The region has been dealing with bombings ever since.
The documentary “We Feed People” shed light on the work of World Central Kitchen and its mission to provide food to those in need during times of crisis. It is clear that this tragic event highlights the importance of protecting humanitarian aid workers and civilians during times of conflict, as well as advocating for access to basic necessities like food for all people, regardless of where they are or what they are going through.
