In order to understand the impact of the #GazaKitchen, it is important to understand the location of the Northern Gaza Strip and what the situation in the area currently is.
By Fatima Moosa
The Gaza Strip has been under a land, sea and air blockade by the illegal Israeli settler-colonial state for the past sixteen years (since 2007) and experiencing a genocide for the past eleven months. The tiny piece of land consists of five governorates: North Gaza, Gaza City, Deir el-Balah, Khan Younis, and Rafah. North Gaza shares a border with Israel known as Beit Hanoon crossing (Erez to Israelis). It is managed by the Israeli army and is Gaza’s only crossing into Israel where Palestinians with special permits are allowed to leave Gaza usually only for urgent medical treatment. The crossing has been completely closed for several months.
According to a report from Al Jazeera, first published in 2022 (then updated in October 2023), the population of North Gaza consists of 430 000 people. However, that number is probably quite different from the 2023 number considering the amount of fatalities that have been recorded and not properly recorded in the past eleven months. The Jabalia refugee camp which is the largest refugee camp in the Strip is situated in North Gaza and has been repeatedly bombed by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) in the past eleven months.
Salaam Foundation’s #GazaKitchen: “We Live, We Resist”
A report released in March 2024 from UNICEF shows that 31% or one in three children under the age of two years in the Northern Gaza Strip suffer from acute malnutrition. This has increased from a huge escalation of 15.6% in January. This number has no doubt further increased exponentially. The ongoing genocide has destroyed almost all of the infrastructure and the illegal Zionist Israeli state had restricted aid deliveries in the Gaza Strip for the past eleven months.
Many children in the North Gaza have died from malnutrition and dehydration and the nutrition and food security, in particular in North Gaza has completely deteriorated. Humanitarian relief access has been severely restricted and completely cut off by Israel.
It is in this part of the Gaza Strip that the Gaza Kitchen is situated, providing the essential service of food to the people who are greatly in need of the fulfilment of this basic human right.
A volunteer at the Gaza Kitchen in the north of Gaza said at the end of March 2024 during the month of Ramadan that they were extremely grateful and appreciative for the establishment of the kitchen.
“From the Northern Gaza Strip, we express our heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to Salaam Foundation for their project of feeding the fasting in the northern Gaza Strip and for establishing this charity kitchen.”
He said they hope Salaam Foundation is able to continue this work until the relief reaches the largest possible number of people.
“Today is Monday, the 15th of the blessed month of Ramadan. May Allah reward you with the best of rewards and treat you kindly. We hope from you to continue this work until this food and relief reaches the largest possible number of people in the northern Gaza Strip.”
Salaam Foundation hopes to continue supporting the work being done with the volunteers at the Gaza Kitchen in providing the much needed meals to 20 000 families monthly. The work being done at the kitchen can only continue with the support and help of donations.
On October 5th, Salaam Foundation will be holding the 2024 edition of the LemonAid campaign with all proceeds from the pop-ups going towards the Gaza Kitchen. To find out more and to register a stall, contact Fatima Moosa at 0747386376 or fmoosa@salaamfoundation.com.
