Dear MoveOn member,
At least 196 humanitarian aid workers have been killed in Gaza since October, alongside nearly 33,000 Gaza residents.1
And on Monday night, the Israeli military carried out multiple precision missile strikes on a convoy of clearly marked food aid vehicles, killing seven staff members from World Central Kitchen, the nonprofit organization providing meals to people on the frontlines and in crises.2
Israel's Defense Forces were told in advance about the aid convoy and its route. A military expert told CNN that "[t]he drone that fired the fatal missiles would have been operated in conjunction with a surveillance drone … meaning the Israeli military would have had total visibility of the cars, including the WCK logo."3
These attacks have not only resulted in senseless deaths, but they've impacted World Central Kitchen's crucial work. Now, World Central Kitchen needs our help to restart their food aid efforts in Gaza, as soon as possible.
The New York Times reports that "[a]id groups in Gaza are more fearful than ever after the latest death of aid workers there."4 If this attack on aid workers causes World Central Kitchen and other aid groups to permanently cease operations in Gaza, it'll mean more deaths of Gazans from a lack of food and clean water, as Israel's military attacks have pushed hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to the brink of starvation.5
Gaza has 2.2 million people who do not have enough to eat—and half of those are facing starvation conditions. It's the "highest number of people facing catastrophic hunger ever recorded… anywhere, anytime," according to the U.N.6
President Biden has said that he is "outraged and heartbroken" by the attacks, noting that the deaths were not a "stand-alone incident," and that the "conflict has been one of the worst in recent memory in terms of how many aid workers have been killed."7
When aid workers are killed, it has a chilling effect, hindering aid organizations and their staff from providing lifesaving aid. As a spokesperson for Save the Children said, "Gaza right now is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a humanitarian worker."8
These attacks must stop. The Israeli military's indiscriminate assault against civilian families, medical personnel, aid workers, and the constant bombardment of medical facilities, humanitarian pathways, and civilian infrastructure has made it nearly impossible to get food and other desperately needed supplies into Gaza.
World Central Kitchen was founded in 2010 by celebrity chef José Andrés in response to the deadly earthquake in Haiti. Since then, they have worked to provide food to civilians and aid workers in war-torn regions, as well as those ravaged by natural disasters including Peru, Uganda, and Puerto Rico. During the pandemic, they also set up multiple soup kitchens across the United States to help ensure that struggling families didn't go hungry.
When disaster strikes, World Central Kitchen's 400 chefs and restaurant owners look for kitchens to use, organize food trucks, and seek out recipes and ingredients that would most comfort the people in need. World Central Kitchen hires local cooks, and almost 400 Palestinians work in 60 community kitchens.9
MoveOn members like you have long partnered with World Central Kitchen to deliver critical aid to disaster zones. After the devastating 2020 hurricane in the Bahamas, MoveOn members donated $219,480 to World Central Kitchen to provide meals to impacted families. And after Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine, MoveOn members came together to raise more than $1 million for World Central Kitchen to provide fresh meals to people forced to flee the invasion, inside Ukraine and in neighboring countries.
Now, more than ever, World Central Kitchen needs our help again.
Thanks for all you do.
–Nakia, Julia, Erik, Amanda, and the rest of the team
Sources:
1. "Who were the World Central Kitchen workers killed in Gaza?" BBC, April 3, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/189077?t=6&akid=379490%2E40999114%2Ez1J4TQ
2. "Israeli attack that killed aid workers consistent with multiple precision strikes, analysis shows," CNN, April 3, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/189091?t=8&akid=379490%2E40999114%2Ez1J4TQ
3. Ibid.
4. "7 Aid Workers Killed in Gaza Were Known for a Passion for Helping Others," The New York Times, April 3, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/189092?t=10&akid=379490%2E40999114%2Ez1J4TQ
5. "7 World Central Kitchen aid workers killed by Israeli airstrike in Gaza," CBS News, April 2, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/189079?t=12&akid=379490%2E40999114%2Ez1J4TQ
6. "Famine is said to be imminent in northern Gaza as Israel raids the main hospital again," AP News, March 19, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/189086?t=14&akid=379490%2E40999114%2Ez1J4TQ
7. "Biden denounces killing of aid workers, saying Israel has 'not done enough to protect civilians.'" The New York Times, updated April 3, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/189093?t=16&akid=379490%2E40999114%2Ez1J4TQ
8. "After Strike, Aid Groups in Gaza Are More Fearful Than Ever," The New York Times, April 3, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/189094?t=18&akid=379490%2E40999114%2Ez1J4TQ
9. "How José Andrés and His Corps of Cooks Became Leaders in Disaster Aid," The New York Times, April 3, 2024
https://act.moveon.org/go/189095?t=20&akid=379490%2E40999114%2Ez1J4TQ
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