GAZA - A hot meal is hard to come by in the Gaza Strip, but a lunch for needy families in the south is about to be delivered by donkey and cart. Today's dish is koshari - made with lentils, rice and a zesty tomato sauce - in a set ...
of huge cooking pots in one of two community kitchens run by American Near East Refugee Aid (Anera), a US-based humanitarian organisation.
"People rely on our meals; they have no source of income to buy what's left in the local markets and many foods are not available," says Sami Matar, who leads the Anera team.
"In the past we used to cook rice with meat - with protein. Now, because of the closure, there's no type of meat, no fresh vegetables." Two months after Israel cut off all supplies from entering Gaza, Mr Matar is warning that the few dozen remaining food kitchens are set to close in days. "The coming days will be critical. We expect we have two weeks' supply, maybe less." (BBC)
