From the very first moments of the brutal war on the Gaza Strip, Youth Vision society did not stand idly by. Instead, it was one of the first initiatives on the ground to provide aid to displaced persons, putting people first. Amid scenes of destruction and displacement, the association began operating community kitchens to provide hot meals that restore some warmth and dignity to families who have lost everything.
In active partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP), the association is implementing the project “Providing emergency hot meals to vulnerable groups in Gaza City,” which targets thousands of displaced persons and vulnerable residents who have been crushed by the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
The project operates through four community kitchens in Gaza City, located in four residential neighborhoods (Sheikh Radwan, Al-Shati, Al-Nasr, and Al-Rimal Al-Janoubi). With a production capacity of 25,000 meals per day, distributed in two shifts to cover the needs of both host communities and collective shelters (camps).
Despite the dire circumstances, the project will continue until the end of 2025, with the possibility of extension as long as the need and supplies continue.
The project has an integrated team of 55 staff and volunteers spread across the four kitchens, each team including: a kitchen leader, a help desk officer, cooks, assistants, and field volunteers who travel between neighborhoods and shelters to ensure food reaches those who cannot access it.
Despite the suffocating siege and scarcity of resources, the World Food Programme continues to supply the project with basic dry goods such as rice, lentils, flour, oil, and canned goods, which are first stored in the main warehouse of the Youth Vision Association and then distributed weekly to local kitchens according to carefully planned production schedules.
With gas completely cut off and fuel unavailable, cooks are forced to use firewood in open stoves to ensure the continued provision of hot meals that comply with the program’s nutritional guidelines, even though the simplest means of cooking have become a luxury.
The project pays special attention to people with disabilities, those with special needs, and families headed by women, with direct home delivery services for those unable to reach distribution centers.
At a time when food has become an unattainable dream for many, the Youth Vision Association and its partners continue to work despite all obstacles, so that the people of Gaza may retain their dignity… and a warm meal amid the ashes.