What is World Central Kitchen, the NGO whose workers killed in Gaza?

FILE PHOTO: World Central Kitchen (WCK) barge loaded with food arrives off the Gaza coast, where there is risk of famine after five months of Israel’s military campaign, in this handout image released March 15, 2024. Israel Defense Forces/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

At least five employees of NGO World Central Kitchen (WCK) were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza, the Hamas-run Gaza government media office said late on Monday.

Below are details on WCK:

• U.S.-based non-governmental organization WCK was set up by Michelin-starred celebrity chef Jose Andres and his wife Patricia in 2010 following a major earthquake in Haiti, initially to provide emergency food aid to survivors.
• WCK expanded from there to provide resilience training, meals and support to survivors of other natural disasters, as well as refugees and people affected by conflict.
• WCK has served tens of millions of meals in Ukraine since Russia’s 2022 invasion.
• WCK was involved in the first shipment of aid to Gaza via a sea corridor from Cyprus in March. A second WCK maritime aid shipment carrying 332 tons of food was due to arrive in Gaza early this week.
• Founder Andres is a Spanish-American chef, restaurateur and cookbook author. His avant-garde restaurant minibar by Jose Andres in Washington, D.C., has two Michelin stars. He was awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Barack Obama in 2015.