World Central Kitchen serving paella to flood victims in Valencia, Spain (photo:: X @WCK)
The world’s largest kitchen is always first to the front, providing fresh meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises. In 2010, Chef José Andrés, wanting to use his culinary knowledge and talent to help countries in crisis, headed to Haiti following a devastating earthquake. Cooking alongside displaced families in a camp, he learnt from the locals how to cook black beans the way Haitians like to eat them: mashed and sieved into a creamy sauce. He said “It wasn’t just about feeding people in need, it was about listening, learning, and cooking side by side with the people impacted by the crisis. This is the real meaning of comfort food.”
“When you need to feed people, you need professional chefs “- WCK hits ground zero in Valencia and serve paella to flood victims
The charity has provided food to over 5 million people from all around the globe. José, and his wife Patricia, used their unique approach to providing food to those in most need when they founded the World Central Kitchen. (WCK) “When you need a medical service, you bring doctors and nurses. When you need the rebuilding of infrastructure, you bring in engineers and architects. And if you have to feed people, you need professional chefs” José Andrés stated on the WCK website.
DANA has left thousands of people homeless, hungry and grieving the loss of loved ones and those still missing
WCK relief teams are now on the ground in the Valencia region of Spain to provide food, potable water, and other support after the worst natural disaster the Valencian community has experienced for over a century. At least 214 people have died, and dozens more are still missing. Over 100,000 households across many municipalities are without electricity, and recovery operations are underway to clear mud and debris. A weather phenomenon, known locally in Spain as ‘La Gota Fria’ or DANA, created a destructive storm system that brought more than a year’s worth of rain in less than 12 hours to parts of Valencia. The flash flooding that occurred was catastrophic. People had no time to react as rivers overflowed into streets and swept into homes and businesses. The floods also covered roads and railways heavily affecting rescue and recovery efforts.
Seventeen restaurants in Valencia help World Central Kitchen to feed victims of DANA storm
However, the WCK teams arrived in Valencia quickly, ready to distribute sandwiches and assess food needs throughout the region. With the help of local chefs, restaurant partners, and volunteers, some of whom WCK have worked with before, they have provided over 200,000 meals to people struggling through the devastating effects of the floods. The WCK charity has said they “Are scaling up their efforts to determine the most affected communities in the region.” To date, as of Thursday, 7th November, the WCK has around thirty meal distribution sites in Valencia, seventeen partner restaurants cooking with them and over one hundred volunteers in action, helping to serve and supply the thousands of displaced residents in Valencia that are currently in desperate need of help and support.
