Under a severe blockade and closed borders, the humanitarian situation in Gaza has become more dire than ever. Each day, thousands of displaced Palestinians queue at a charity kitchen serving around 20,000 refugees.

The kitchen’s director said nearly 15,000 people arrive daily, but many receive only a small portion and some leave empty-handed.

Abdel-Nasser Sheikh El-Eid, a displaced Palestinian, said: “Life is very difficult. A person only eats one meal a day because of the suffocating siege and there is no way to buy some necessities because they are expensive and unavailable. The aid that comes through the American and Israeli committees - getting it is very dangerous. A person might not return to his children and might return dead.”

Another displaced woman, Hanadi Abu-Jami, said: “Enough, enough siege, enough death. Our children are dying and getting lost in this situation. Yesterday, my sister's husband was martyred when he went to get a morsel of food for his children. He went there and died. His little daughter said to him, 'Dad, I want a biscuit, I want a biscuit.' He went to get her a biscuit and was martyred. He was martyred and left his children. He went to get biscuits, but he was martyred. We don't want to get aid this way. We want to get it by messages (meaning through the UNRWA agency).”

“I came to get a plate of food, so that my old husband and I can eat, a plate of food from the al- Saada kitchen. Without al-Saada kitchen, we would not eat or drink. This is the only kitchen that we depend on. We are hungry. We have no flour or oil,” said Fathieh Ghanem, a refugee.

Despite their tireless work, the kitchen staff lack the resources to meet everyone’s needs. Saad Abdeen, the charity kitchen’s director, said: “We can't feed everyone who comes to us. About 15,000 people come to us every day, but not everyone gets food. Some get barely one meal, and some don't get any at all.''

The severe humanitarian crisis persists as Israeli airstrikes continue daily. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, since the war began in October 2023, over 55,000 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 130,000 injured.