Gaza's Food Kitchens Struggle for Essentials Despite Ceasefire

Fri Dec 05 2025 10:13:24 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Community kitchens in Gaza, while operating under a recently established ceasefire, still face significant shortages of essential food products, leaving many in dire situations.

Despite the ongoing ceasefire in Gaza, community kitchens are grappling with serious shortages of crucial food items, primarily proteins like meat and chicken. Humanitarian organizations are amplifying their efforts to feed displaced families, but access to varied and nutritious food remains severely limited. As the situation unfolds, many Gazans continue to face acute food insecurity amid an evolving crisis.

Garlic simmers in huge metal pots heated over open wood fires and set up in a long line. Cooks add canned tomatoes and peppers with handfuls of spices, stirring the sauce with giant spoons. What is being prepared here is not just lunch, it is a lifeline.

American Near East Refugee Aid (Anera) opened this community kitchen in al-Zawayda in central Gaza after the ceasefire began six weeks ago. The US humanitarian organization has another kitchen in al-Mawasi in the south of the strip, which the BBC visited in early May.

Back then, two months into an Israeli blockade that prevented the entry of all food and other goods, stocks were dwindling. Now, with more food allowed to enter, the situation has improved but critical shortages remain.

Each day, Anera feeds a hot meal to more than 20,000 people, with reports showing an increase of meals distributed through a network of kitchens to 1.4 million this week, though many cannot access sufficient nutrition. This increase comes amidst ongoing challenges where essential food items, especially proteins, remain restricted, making aid efforts increasingly difficult.

Sami Matar, Anera's team leader, notes that the kitchens predominantly prepare three types of meals: rice, pasta, and lentils. The organization is striving to source fresh vegetables and essential proteins like meat and chicken, but these are severely lacking in the aid distribution.

Challenges persist as many families are still relying heavily on community kitchens, with reports indicating a significant portion of households in Gaza are only managing one meal a day. The humanitarian crisis in the region continues to escalate as aid organizations fight for improved access and diversity in the food supplies needed.

As the ceasefire holds momentarily, families look for stability and hope for basic necessities like hot meals with love and dignity.