GAZA, (PIC)
In the Deir al-Balah refugee camp in the central of Gaza Strip, a soup kitchen that had been distributing simple daily meals—lentils, rice, or pasta—to starving, bombarded families ceased operations in recent days.
With its closure, hundreds of camp residents lost their only daily source of food, in a scene that is not isolated from the reality of the Gaza Strip but a direct reflection of the gradual collapse of the entire humanitarian system under siege and war.
A widespread crisis
The soup kitchen, which operated for a time with support from World Central Kitchen and was staffed by volunteers from within the camp, shut down due to a lack of funding and the inability to continue operating.
With its closure, Deir al-Balah joined a growing list of areas in the Gaza Strip that have lost grassroots food initiatives.
Abdel Qader Abu Al-Atta: “I couldn’t face the children empty-handed.”
Abdel Qader Abu Al-Atta, one of the volunteers who helped distribute the meals, said: “The meals weren’t large or fancy, but they eased the hunger—lentils, rice, pasta… and people appreciated them because they were given without humiliation. When the support stopped, I started avoiding the street so I wouldn’t have to face the children who had gotten used to coming every day.”
Voices from the camp: A silent struggle
Abu Mujahid, a father from the camp, described the situation by saying: “I don’t want to exaggerate—the meals were very simple, but they helped ease the hunger.”
Huda, a university student, added: “My mother used to go pick up the meal, even though she felt humiliated. Now that they shut it down, she can’t even leave the house… Hunger is not just pain, it’s humiliation too.”
Salma, a mother of five: “The food wasn’t much, but it protected us from humiliation… Now we try to cook anything, even if it’s just dry bread and water.”
Hundreds of thousands of civilians have relied on soup kitchens that spread during the war to get a single meal a day, as flour and goods have vanished from markets.
Since March 2, Israel has kept the Gaza Strip’s crossings closed and completely blocked the entry of goods and aid, leading to an unprecedented spread of famine across the Strip.
UN warnings: The situation has surpassed catastrophe
The United Nations, through UNRWA, recently warned that the situation in the Gaza Strip has surpassed all red lines.
Adnan Abu Hasna, the agency’s media advisor, said the strip is now facing a “humanitarian catastrophe,” stressing: “There is no flour, no water, not even vaccines for children. People have been left to face their fate without any protection.”
World Central Kitchen: We were forced to stop
World Central Kitchen announced that it had completely suspended operations in the Gaza Strip due to depleted supplies and the ban on aid entry, affirming that it cannot resume cooking or distribution unless essential materials are allowed in.
Is anyone listening?
The closure of the Deir al-Balah soup kitchen, despite the modesty of what it offered, exposed the fragility of daily life for the people of Gaza. At a time when crises are compounding, a lentil meal becomes something not to be taken for granted, and its absence becomes a sign of deep collapse.
What is happening with the soup kitchens reflects a much larger crisis that demands urgent intervention to ensure the bare minimum for survival.
