Chef Jose Andres pushes back on criticism of airdrops into Gaza: Bring food 'any way we can'
Source: ABC News
March 3, 2024, 12:53 PM
Chef and humanitarian José Andrés, whose nonprofit World Central Kitchen has been sending significant aid into Gaza amid the Israel-Hamas war, on Sunday pushed back on criticism that airdrops into the Palestinian territory are wrong because they are hypocritical and insufficient compared to broader solutions.
"We need to bring food into Gaza any way we can," Andrés told ABC News "This Week" co-anchor Jonathan Karl, calling the situation there "desperate." According to the U.N., more than 570,000 people in Gaza are on the brink of experiencing famine levels of hunger due to the continuing conflict.
While Andrés said the broader goal should be to simply allow a "daily, constant and massive" flow of trucks into Gaza, "I don't think we need to be criticizing that Jordan, America are doing airdrops. If anything, we should be applauding any initiative that brings food into Gaza." He was responding to a recent statement from an official with the anti-poverty group Oxfam opposing the airdrops.
The Oxfam statement this weekend said the airdrops "mostly serve to relieve the guilty consciences of senior US officials whose policies are contributing to the ongoing atrocities and risk of famine in Gaza." Andrés dismissed that on Sunday, saying, "This is probably written by somebody that doesn't have -- who has a lot of time on his hands."
Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/chef-jos-andrs-pushes-back-criticism-airdrops-gaza/story?id=107747205
bahboo
(16,387 posts)any help is needed...
niyad
(113,860 posts)SunSeeker
(51,796 posts)Lefta Dissenter
(6,623 posts)If anyone is able and so inclined...
https://wck.org/donate
MurrayDelph
(5,304 posts)every month.
As far as I'm concerned, the only reason for the Nobel committee to not give him the Peace Prize next year
is if they give it to him THIS year (and there is NO reason not to do that!)
The_Zephyr
(13 posts)A worthy charity. Thanks for the link.
BuddhaGirl
(3,615 posts)Thank you for your kindness and compassion for the hungry and suffering, Chef
Staph
(6,257 posts)"Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good!"
Jean Genie
(287 posts)I just LOVE Chef Andres. He is the very definition of a GOOD person!
PS: His Basque cheesecake is superb too! Try some on Gold Belly!
sanatanadharma
(3,752 posts)A renown 20th century north Indian saint, holy man, mystic, magician, guru-fakir known in this lifetime as Neem Karoli Baba, taught "feed people" as the highest spiritual path (for most) to follow, because for the hungry God manifests as food.
Andres is promoting putting energy into a distributing loaves and fishes approach, rather than complaining there's not enough fish and the bread is stale.
Ford_Prefect
(7,927 posts)The Berlin Airlift in 1948-49 delivered roughly 5000 tons a day, 1/3 of which was food. I don't know how many people were in West Berlin at the time but I can see that a few or many parachute drops to GAZA are only going to dent the problem.
Although it is far from enough it does bypass the political and military barriers to a larger solution. It may also provide an opening of sorts for more aid to get through by conventional methods.
It may provide more incentive for both sides to negotiate as well.
Bernardo de La Paz
(49,069 posts)Aussie105
(5,485 posts)But in that land of great Biblical significance, feeding the hungry should be on top of the list.
Access isn't a problem - if by land doesn't work too well, there is always by air and by ship that are options.
I guess if starvation is going to be a tool to stop this war, why not starve the IDF of weapons, and Bidi of American dollars?
AnrothElf
(672 posts)Pretty lame.
The Grand Illuminist
(1,343 posts)And not junk food or grool that is sent.
Marcuse
(7,561 posts)democrank
(11,112 posts)from the bottom of my heart.
stopdiggin
(11,411 posts)Imagine for a moment the narrow mind that criticizes ANY attempt to feed the starving ...