Why UNRWA food assistance is needed

The Gaza Strip has been under an illegal blockade for eleven years, and unemployment and poverty levels are at record highs. As a result, nearly one million of the 1.3 million Palestine refugees in Gaza rely on UNRWA food assistance to meet their basic daily needs. 

A $150 donation can provide enough flour, rice, whole milk, oil, chickpeas, lentils, and protein-rich sardines to feed a family for the summer.

Iftar for Gaza 

For the second year, UNRWA USA supporters chose to narrow the gap between the US and the Gaza Strip by bringing the thoughts, experiences, and struggles of Palestine refugee families into their homes and around their dining tables. 

Iftar for Gaza means feeding more than just those around the table; it's bringing together friends and family to ensure that Palestine refugees meet basic food needs through Ramadan and for the entire summer. 

find your iftar: where iftar for gaza events were hosted across the us

UNRWA USA supporters hosted Iftar for Gaza events all across the country -- from picnics to potlucks to restaurant-catered dinners, Americans got creative to feed more than just those around their tables!

This Ramadan, UNRWA USA supporters held 35 iftars across the United States, raising over $125,700, to provide UNRWA food assistance to more than 839 of the most vulnerable Palestine refugee families in the Gaza Strip. From New Jersey to California, New York to Texas, Maryland to Pennsylvania, these hosts and attendees showed Palestine refugees that Americans care and care deeply.

Here are some of the highlights: 

Burtonsville, Maryland

Anika and Aamir took the idea of iftar for Gaza and got creative with it, flipping the concept and hosting a "sahoor for Gaza" party instead. Sahoor, the pre-dawn meal Muslims consume prior to fasting, takes place early in the morning, so the couple invited their friends and family to their home in Maryland and treated them to a huge late night party that started at 1 am and went on until 4 am, featuring a local chicken and waffle food truck, shawarma bowls and wraps from Georgetown's popular Muncheez restaurant, a barista serving up various coffees drinks, teas, and fresh fruit cocktails, and complimentary t-shirts. The generous couple not only hosted a sahoor to remember, they matched all donations made to their fundraising page. Together, Anika and Aamir's community provided enough funding to assist over 190 refugee families in the Gaza Strip!

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Longtime supporter Lora, along with 21 friends and neighbors, came together at Sahara Restaurant -- a local favorite -- for a delicious meal of basmati rice, falafel, hummus, dolmas, shawarma, and fattoush salad. As they ate together, Lora reflected on her time in Gaza. She states in her blog piece encapsulating the event, "I had a flashback to many of the families in Gaza who served me wonderful meals — too numerous to count. I wish I could have bridged the miles and shared my Iftar with them."

While she couldn't physically offer the same meals to families in Gaza, Lora's efforts, along with the efforts and generosity of her energetic and passionate community, amounted to 16 families receiving UNRWA food assistance for the entire summer! 

Orange County, California

Two friends and entrepreneurs, Sara (A Little Bit of Lemon) and Lana (Olive & Heart), partnered together to host a Supper Club for Gaza in southern California featuring their favorite traditional Iraqi and Palestinian dishes alongside their close group of friends. One attendee encouraged her friends to attend and donate to their iftar event as a way to celebrate her birthday while also giving to charity. Lana reflected on the event in a recent Olive & Heart blog piece.

new york, new york

Our friends at Komeeda -- an organization that delivers creative cultural food experiences -- have been long-standing partners of our work assisting with the NYC Gaza 5Ks, hosting displaced dinners, and other outreach and fundraising events for Palestine refugees. And for the second year in a row, they hosted a charitable iftar to benefit Palestine refugees in Gaza at the Food and Arts Center in downtown Manhattan. The tickets to the dinner along with donations made during and prior to the event contributed to 65 families in the Gaza Strip receiving UNRWA food assistance for Ramadan and the rest of summer.

The event featured an impressive menu showcasing a molecular gastronomy interpretation of the Palestinian cuisine, including a lentil soup and basterma-wrapped dates, sous vide steak with cacao and Aleppo pepper, and halloumi cheese and blood oranges. What's even more impressive than the menu, is their passionate community service and dedication to empowering refugees here in the United States and abroad.

Bergen, New Jersey

Sara and Dina co-hosted an iftar together, renting out Maggianos Restaurant and filling it with their closest friends and family for an elaborate and beautiful Italian dinner. Sara and Dina each pledged to feed ten families and invited their friends to join them in reaching their total goal.

By the end of the night, they were able to collect enough to feed 51 families! Following the event, Sara and Dina continued to share their fundraising page on social media, and friends continued to donate, ultimately raising enough to feed over 58 families! Sara, a trained counselor, hopes to continue her efforts as a volunteer to strengthen UNRWA's Community Mental Health Programme in the Middle East.

Wilmington, Delaware

Mike and the Delawareans for Palestine shared a delicious meal in Wilmington while raising funds and awareness in solidarity with Palestine refugees in the Gaza Strip. Together, these powerhouse community members of all ages gathered together for a memorable and rewarding afternoon.

new york, new york 

Ariella, Michelle, and a group of their friends came together for an intimate potluck dinner, hosted in their apartment in NYC. Together, they shared a meal and raised enough to feed four families in Gaza. 

san francisco, california

Time after time, Googlers Zanoon and Rhonda have stepped up and taken initiative to support Palestine refugees. Most recently, they showed tremendous compassion and thoughtfulness during a time of exceptional need for refugees in Gaza by successfully mobilizing over 200 fellow Googlers to raise a staggering $38,000 for Palestine refugees in Gaza. In addition to hosting a huge dinner at Google, they shared a presentation highlighting UNRWA's work in the Gaza Strip and the impact of the UNRWA food assistance program with friends and colleagues who otherwise may not have known about UNRWA's critical work for Palestine refugees. 

brooklyn, new york

In a cozy Brooklyn apartment, a group of friends from 8 different countries (along with a cute furry friend!) got together to break fast over a delicious meal, show solidarity with refugees in Gaza, and celebrate their friendships. In the process, they raised enough money to feed 7 Palestine refugee families in the Gaza Strip!

coney island, new york

High school students from Coney Island Prep have now hosted an iftar for Gaza two years in a row. This year, they made it even bigger and better, drawing students and teachers from all grades to participate and learn more about the situation facing refugees in the Gaza Strip. They hope to host another iftar next year, but until then, read about their successful iftar and what the event meant to them. 

Photos and highlights from other iftars around the US

Did you host an #IftarforGaza? 

Share your photos and videos with us via email or using hashtag #IftarforGaza so we can feature what you and your community achieved together! Thank you for keeping Gaza in your hearts and minds and for continuing to show Palestine refugees Americans care. 

unrwa usa hosts iftar for gaza events in nyc and washington, dc

In addition, UNRWA USA held two experiential and interactive charitable Iftar for Gaza events in the United States, where hundreds of supporters from the area attended to demonstrate solidarity and provide UNRWA food assistance to Palestine refugee families in the Gaza Strip. Check out photos from the recent New York City and Washington DC dinners.