World Central Kitchen is suspending its work in the Gaza Strip after seven of the organisation’s aid workers are said to have been killed in an Israeli attack late on Monday evening.
The dead are from Palestine, Poland, Australia, Great Britain, and one person has dual citizenship from the United States and Canada, writes Reuters.
The number of people killed was initially stated to be five, but the organization has updated the number of dead to seven.
– We are aware of reports that members of the World Central Kitchen team have been killed in an IDF attack while they were working to contribute to our humanitarian efforts with food distribution, writes the aid organization on X (formerly Twitter).
– This is a tragedy. Aid workers and civilians should never be a target. Never, writes the organization.
The aid organization World Central Kitchen built its own breakwater to get emergency aid into Gaza. This is the first time they have delivered food supplies into the area, 15 March 2024.
– Should never have happened
The Israeli military (IDF) says it is conducting a thorough review at the highest level to understand the circumstances of what it calls a tragic incident.
– The IDF is making extensive efforts to enable the safe delivery of humanitarian aid, and has worked closely with the WCK in their vital efforts to provide food and humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza, reports the IDF.
Hamas said in a statement that the attack was intended to terrorize international aid organizations and deter them from continuing their work.
World Central Kitchen prepares food for the people of Gaza.
Photo: WCK
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed that Australian aid worker Lalzawmi “Zomi” Frankcom (44) died in the attack.
– This is a humanitarian tragedy that should never have happened. It is completely unacceptable and Australia will have a full and solid review, says Albanese.
– Shattered
WCK built its own breakwater on the Gaza Strip to bring in emergency aid by sea. Their first shipment entered the area on March 15th. The other one came in yesterday.
A barge from World Central Kitchen with food for Gaza.
Photo: ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES / Reuters
The founder, José Andrés, says, according to Reuters, that he is devastated and mourns the loss of the victims’ family and friends.
– This is not just an attack against WCK. This is an attack on humanitarian organizations that help in the most serious of situations, where food is used as a weapon of war. This is unforgivable, says WCK manager Erin Gore in a press release.
The aid organization has previously stated that they operate more than 60 kitchens both in the south and in the center of the Gaza Strip.
The organization says they are putting all work in the region on hold.
– We will soon decide on our work going forward, says a press release.
These are supposed to be the passports of several of the aid workers who died in the Israeli attack.
Photo: Screenshot / X
Big losses
The aid organization WCK was established after the earthquake in Haiti in 2010, and then sent cooks and food into the country.
The organization has its headquarters in the United States, and aims to be quickly in place in disaster areas. It also has the ambition to find smart solutions to hunger and poverty.
Other aid organizations have also suffered heavy losses in Gaza since the war began.
Among other things, 26 aid workers from the Palestinian Red Crescent (PRCS) have been killed since October, according to the organization itself.
In addition, 174 UN employees have been killed since the war started, the UN reports.
In January, Faktisk wrote that more aid workers have never been killed in one and the same conflict as in Gaza.
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