Delicious UK - (10)October 2020

FORRICHER,FOR

POORERGaza

offersitsown

zingy take on

Middle Eastern

cuisine, but

many Gazans

struggle to afford

the basics

world view.

d k 10

H

ere I am in Khan Yunis,
a city in the south of the
Gaza Strip, one of the
most closed-off parts of the world.
I’ve come to see the extraordinary
work the World Food Programme
does here. Two million people live
in an area of less than 400 square
kilometres and the charity feeds
270,000 of them every day. Around
80 per cent of the families the charity
assists receive vouchers they can
exchange for food from around 200
shops across Gaza. The remainder
receive parcels of the basics: wheat
flour, lentils, chickpeas, vegetable
oil and salt.
Laila and her family are among
the beneficiaries of the charity, and
we’re eating a typical Palestinian
meal that’s cheap, nutritious and
packed with flavour. Unlike most
communities I’ve come across in
this region, Gazans love eating
spicy food laced with greenchillies.
Khan Yunis has been aroundfor
thousands of years – a stronghold

along the great trading routes that

connect Africa and Asia. Over the

years, it has soaked up the flavours

of different cultures, giving it

a unique palette of its own.

A MISSION WITH REWARDS

I never fail to be astounded by how

unifying food can be. It’s been

quite a journey for me to get into

Gaza – getting permission to cross

the heavily armed border took

months of paperwork, interviews

and medicals – but here I am with

this magical family, connecting

over a simple meal. My heart melts

for them. Their incredible daughter

Lama,who’s11,is recoveringfrom

eyesurgery,andshepractisesher

Englishonme.Needlesstosay,

sheputsmyArabictoshame.She’s

FOR RICHER FOR

smart and full of positive energy.

I hope she gets the opportunities

in life that every child should have:

the chance to grow up safely,

without fear and hunger – and to

know that, whatever her aspirations

anddreams,shecanachievethem

andliveherlifefreely.Thathope

is a pipedreamatthemoment.

Afterlunch,wehopinto→

Like the food, the resilient people are

awesome, trying so hard to live a normal life

under such extreme conditions.