Garlic simmers in huge metal pots heated over open wood fires set up in a long line.
Cooks add canned tomatoes and peppers with handfuls of spices, stirring the sauce with giant spoons.
What is being prepared here is not just lunch; it is a lifeline.
Anera, an American humanitarian organization, opened its community kitchen in al-Zuwayda in central Gaza after a ceasefire began six weeks ago. It operates another kitchen in al-Mawasi in southern Gaza, visited by the BBC in May.
At that time, two months into an Israeli blockade preventing food and goods from entering, stocks were dwindling. Now, while conditions have slightly improved with more food being allowed in, community kitchens are still missing essential proteins like meat.
Each day, Anera now feeds more than 20,000 people. Team leader Sami Matar reports an expansion of operations, serving over 4,000 families compared to just 900 six months ago.
However, due to continued restrictions, meals are limited. We can only provide three types of meals weekly: rice, pasta, and lentils. We need more variety and essential proteins like meat and chicken, which are not allowed across the border, Mr. Matar explains.
Meanwhile, a quarter of households in Gaza are reportedly eating only one meal a day, exacerbated by rampant inflation and limited buying power. Families like that of Aida Salha, currently living in borrowed tents, continue to rely on the community kitchens despite the overall situation remaining dire.
While supportive measures have increased – with the UN reporting a rise to 1.4 million meals distributed daily – the outlook for many remains grim as aid access and resources are tightly controlled.
As winter weather sets in, families express deep concerns over the lack of basic support, revealing the long-term impacts of sustained conflict on everyday lives.
