Latest news with #WorldCentralKitchen
The Herald
5 days ago
- General
- The Herald
Palestinians storm US-backed aid centre despite concerns over checks
In New York, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters the UN and its partners have a sound plan 'to get aid to a desperate population' and Israel was allowing it to deliver some relief, but with a lot of obstacles. The Israeli military said 400 humanitarian aid trucks were waiting in Gaza for distribution but the UN was refusing to 'do its job'. In a statement late on Tuesday, US-based World Central Kitchen said while Israel has allowed some of its trucks into the Kerem Shalom crossing with Gaza, the aid was being held at the border. Last week, Israel eased its blockade, allowing a trickle of aid trucks from international agencies into Gaza. However, the amount of aid that has entered the densely populated coastal enclave has been a fraction of the 500 to 600 trucks UN agencies estimate are needed every day. 'Before the war, my fridge used to be full of meat, chicken, dairy, soft drinks, everything, and today I am begging for a loaf of bread,' Abu Ahmed told Reuters via a chat app. As a small aid flow has resumed, Israeli forces, which are in control of large parts of Gaza, have kept up attacks on targets around the enclave, killing 3,901 Palestinians since a two-month ceasefire collapsed in mid-March, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. More than 54,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's air and ground war, Gaza health authorities said. It was launched after a cross-border Hamas-led attack on October 7 2023, that killed 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage into Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. Reuters
Mada
24-05-2025
- General
- Mada
Creative attempts to stave off starvation in Gaza (for those who can afford it)
Since Israel shut down Gaza's border crossings on March 2, no foodstuffs or other supplies have entered the strip — aside from trickles this week that have yet to be distributed — triggering a food shortage so severe it cannot be resolved in the near future, regardless of any new measures that might be taken. Those who can afford it have resorted to surviving on bread made with pasta, eaten with a little zaatar and dukkah made of ground wheat and hot pepper. Scant amounts of vegetables are available in the markets, and few people buy them due to their exorbitant prices — a kilogram of tomatoes now costs 35 shekels (around US$10), ten times the pre-blockade price. The depletion of foodstuffs and flour led to the closure of all bakeries and most restaurants on April 2, followed in early May by the shutdown of World Central Kitchen's relief operations, which had been offering daily meals of lentils, rice, beans or pasta to the displaced. Only a few simple restaurants remain operational, selling falafel fried over wood fire at seven times the prior cost. Among the more creative endeavors to provide food while generating needed income is a food stall in Gaza City's Sahaba market that serves canned meat sandwiches cooked over a wood fire. These too are expensive, as scarcity has driven up the prices of all foodstuffs. To survive the worsening crisis, many who can still afford it have turned to baking bread with dried pasta as a substitute for increasingly scarce and costly flour. The pasta is soaked for four hours until soft and sticky, then mixed with a bit of flour and kneaded into a dough. Yet demand for pasta as a flour alternative has also driven up its price, creating yet another obstacle to securing basic sustenance amid widespread scarcity.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Nonprofit shifts focus to aid tornado victims with resources
ST. LOUIS – In 1995, St. Louis Artworks began as a nonprofit helping teach teens art and life skills. Three decades later, they're still providing art projects for teens. But since last Friday's tornado, they've turned up the ways they're giving back. 'As you know, St. Louis was devastated by the tornado so we wanted to be able to bring together different organizations so we could provide them with some of the needs that they may have,' says Jacqueline Dace, president of St. Louis Artworks. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Friday, a steady stream of St. Louisans got resources, from toiletries to clothing to hot meals. 'We had about three cases of water left and as soon as the words came out of my mouth I looked outside and there was an 18-wheeler that was pulling up,' Dace said. Across the street, a spontaneous power of prayer, as faith leaders pray for those impacted by the destruction. Donate here: Help support St. Louis storm victims 'We know in a lot of the early moments after a disaster or crisis it's always quick foods what's available,' said Kate Dozier, World Central Kitchen chef. 'But it's not always nourishing or sustaining for the hard work it takes to rebuild. So, we have a very specific program that's grams of protein, the amount of vegetables, the starches, to make sure it's the most nutritiously dense food.' World Central kitchen says they will continue to be providing meals as long as there is need. St. Louis Artworks is open daily from 12 p.m. until 5 p.m. 'People have been grateful and gracious, and they've been bringing in supplies,' Dace said. 'They've been bringing in clothes. People have been supportive in bringing in items.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Washington Post
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
'Money does no good in a bank': World Central Kitchen's Jose Andres urges donors to give more
José Andrés remembers when he went to Haiti after the devastating 2010 earthquake that the government estimates killed more than 300,000 people. 'We began cooking in the streets, you know?' said the James Beard award-winning Spanish chef, whose group operates more than 40 restaurants around the world. 'I'm feeding people after an earthquake so there were no photographers or cameras, it was me with my friends doing it.' That was the start of World Central Kitchen, which has grown into a major nonprofit, raising hundreds of millions of dollars annually, as it quickly provides meals in response to humanitarian crises. Andrés' personal profile has only grown since then as well, as his NBC cooking competition show with Martha Stewart 'Yes, Chef' continues and his new book 'Change the Recipe: Because You Can't Build a Better World Without Breaking Some Eggs' hit stores last month. 'Now, sometimes when I go, everybody seems to have a camera,' he said. 'It's OK. I just go and try to do the best I can and donate my time.' Andrés' work has drawn plenty of accolades. Earlier this year, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from then-President Joe Biden, who said the winners 'answer the call to serve and led others to do the same thing.' Ricardo Leite, senior vice president and head of international markets at Discover and president of Diners Club International, said Diners Club donated $750,000 earlier this month to World Central Kitchen to provide approximately 150,000 meals. 'When looking for a nonprofit to collaborate with for our 75th anniversary, we wanted one that builds on our Together for Change corporate social responsibility program to create change where it matters most,' said Leite. 'This collaboration allows us to pay forward our legacy by helping provide comforting meals to those most in need.' The Associated Press recently spoke with Andrés about how he is dealing with the world's ongoing crises. The interview was edited for clarity and length. _____ A: It's important for the message that it sends, not only about donating to World Center Kitchen, but the important moment that philanthropy is going to be playing in a moment where we are seeing cutbacks. USAID is not being active any more and it used to be very important around the world. NGOs (Nongovernmental organizations) like World Central Kitchen in America and overseas are important because they occupy a role that governments don't occupy very often... It sends the message to every other foundation, private business, and individuals: Everybody needs to be very thoughtful about remembering that there are organizations doing vital work to bring relief or to solve problems that many people in America or abroad are facing. A: We've never been supported really by them, but we work alongside them. World Central Kitchen is in Myanmar and in Thailand after the earthquake. In the old days, there would've been a rapid response team of USAID showing up in those scenarios to help those countries take care of their needs in an emergency. So the answer is yes. It's not only us, obviously. We're not everywhere, but where we are, usually we occupy a very big role in the initial emergency response. For us, that means activating money that helps us execute a response that is beyond meals — it's meals, it's water, everything that needs to happen. And in the best fashion of World Center Kitchen. it is channeled through the local economy, so in the process of responding to the emergency, we are helping the local economy. A: We are ready. We are waiting. We hope that common sense will prevail. We hope that hostages will be released, that civilians in Gaza will not be afraid any more of bombs falling on their heads, and where everybody, Palestinians and Israel, can hope for a better tomorrow with peace. This will only happen with a ceasefire where nobody else is dying — where Gaza is not under attack, where Israel is not under attack, where hostages are released and where the children of Gaza can go back to school and they can start dreaming of rebuilding. The vast majority of people have common sense. They want to live in peace and prosperity. We cannot let the very, very few dictate the rules on behalf of the many that want to live in peace. A: I would say money does no good in the bank. I mean it's earning interest. But I think it's good when the money is used to invest in the people and when money is an investment in a better tomorrow. ______ Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP's philanthropy coverage, visit .
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Money does no good in a bank': World Central Kitchen's Jose Andres urges donors to give more
José Andrés remembers when he went to Haiti after the devastating 2010 earthquake that the government estimates killed more than 300,000 people. 'We began cooking in the streets, you know?' said the James Beard award-winning Spanish chef, whose group operates more than 40 restaurants around the world. 'I'm feeding people after an earthquake so there were no photographers or cameras, it was me with my friends doing it.' That was the start of World Central Kitchen, which has grown into a major nonprofit, raising hundreds of millions of dollars annually, as it quickly provides meals in response to humanitarian crises. Andrés' personal profile has only grown since then as well, as his NBC cooking competition show with Martha Stewart 'Yes, Chef' continues and his new book 'Change the Recipe: Because You Can't Build a Better World Without Breaking Some Eggs' hit stores last month. 'Now, sometimes when I go, everybody seems to have a camera,' he said. 'It's OK. I just go and try to do the best I can and donate my time.' Andrés' work has drawn plenty of accolades. Earlier this year, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from then-President Joe Biden, who said the winners 'answer the call to serve and led others to do the same thing.' Ricardo Leite, senior vice president and head of international markets at Discover and president of Diners Club International, said Diners Club donated $750,000 earlier this month to World Central Kitchen to provide approximately 150,000 meals. 'When looking for a nonprofit to collaborate with for our 75th anniversary, we wanted one that builds on our Together for Change corporate social responsibility program to create change where it matters most,' said Leite. 'This collaboration allows us to pay forward our legacy by helping provide comforting meals to those most in need.' The Associated Press recently spoke with Andrés about how he is dealing with the world's ongoing crises. The interview was edited for clarity and length. _____ Q: Why is the Diners Club International donation to World Central Kitchen so important? A: It's important for the message that it sends, not only about donating to World Center Kitchen, but the important moment that philanthropy is going to be playing in a moment where we are seeing cutbacks. USAID is not being active any more and it used to be very important around the world. NGOs (Nongovernmental organizations) like World Central Kitchen in America and overseas are important because they occupy a role that governments don't occupy very often... It sends the message to every other foundation, private business, and individuals: Everybody needs to be very thoughtful about remembering that there are organizations doing vital work to bring relief or to solve problems that many people in America or abroad are facing. Q: Will World Central Kitchen have to step in to fill in the gap left by USAID cuts? A: We've never been supported really by them, but we work alongside them. World Central Kitchen is in Myanmar and in Thailand after the earthquake. In the old days, there would've been a rapid response team of USAID showing up in those scenarios to help those countries take care of their needs in an emergency. So the answer is yes. It's not only us, obviously. We're not everywhere, but where we are, usually we occupy a very big role in the initial emergency response. For us, that means activating money that helps us execute a response that is beyond meals — it's meals, it's water, everything that needs to happen. And in the best fashion of World Center Kitchen. it is channeled through the local economy, so in the process of responding to the emergency, we are helping the local economy. Q: Earlier this month, World Central Kitchen had to suspend operations in Gaza because you had no more supplies. Are you hopeful that will change soon? (This interview was done before Monday when Israel lifted its three-month blockade on supplies to Gaza.) A: We are ready. We are waiting. We hope that common sense will prevail. We hope that hostages will be released, that civilians in Gaza will not be afraid any more of bombs falling on their heads, and where everybody, Palestinians and Israel, can hope for a better tomorrow with peace. This will only happen with a ceasefire where nobody else is dying — where Gaza is not under attack, where Israel is not under attack, where hostages are released and where the children of Gaza can go back to school and they can start dreaming of rebuilding. The vast majority of people have common sense. They want to live in peace and prosperity. We cannot let the very, very few dictate the rules on behalf of the many that want to live in peace. Q: Is this the time for major donors to give more? A: I would say money does no good in the bank. I mean it's earning interest. But I think it's good when the money is used to invest in the people and when money is an investment in a better tomorrow. ______ Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP's philanthropy coverage, visit
