In a significant humanitarian step to address the worsening food crisis in the Gaza Strip, the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center launched a comprehensive central kitchen project. The project aims to produce and distribute thousands of hot meals daily to displaced and affected families throughout the Gaza Strip. This initiative is part of the Saudi popular campaign to aid the Palestinian people, and is being implemented in cooperation with the Saudi Center for Culture and Heritage.
The general context of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza
The Gaza Strip has been suffering for months from an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, described by international organizations as one of the worst in modern history. The current conditions have led to the displacement of more than 90% of the population and the destruction of essential infrastructure, including bakeries and food production facilities, pushing the Strip to the brink of famine. Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Rabeeah, Advisor to the Royal Court and Supervisor General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, noted that the Palestinian people in Gaza are being subjected to forced displacement and deprived of the most basic human needs. He emphasized that food insecurity affects the vast majority of the population due to the difficulty in accessing food, medicine, and essential supplies.
Details of the central kitchen project and its objectives
The project aims to develop and operate a fully equipped central kitchen to produce 24,000 hot meals daily, with a planned total of 3,600,000 meals to be produced and distributed. These meals will be distributed to displaced families in the northern, central, and southern parts of the Gaza Strip, with a focus on the most vulnerable and needy groups, such as women, children, and the elderly. The kitchen is scheduled to begin operating at full capacity to provide balanced meals that will help address the acute food gap. In addition, the project aims to support the local economy by utilizing available resources within the Gaza Strip and providing employment opportunities for approximately 40 individuals, thus contributing to improving the income of beneficiary families.
Strategic importance and expected impact
This project holds immense strategic importance on several levels. Locally , it provides a sustainable and reliable source of food, directly contributing to alleviating the suffering of the population and combating malnutrition. Regionally , the project embodies the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's leading role in humanitarian work and reinforces the spirit of Arab solidarity in the face of crises. Internationally , this initiative stands out as part of international efforts to prevent the humanitarian catastrophe from worsening and underscores the Kingdom's commitment, under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and his Crown Prince, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, to supporting the Palestinian people through all possible means, including the continuous air and sea bridge and the land convoys operating through the Rafah crossing and the Egyptian port of El Arish.
This central kitchen is one of the largest food projects implemented by the center in the Gaza Strip, and it comes as a continuation of a well-established humanitarian approach that places human dignity at the forefront of its priorities, and reflects the Kingdom’s keenness to stand by its brothers in times of hardship and adversity.
