How a blogger overcomes limited supplies to prepare food for Gaza children

In a viral video shot in a tent in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, a young man cracks open a can of luncheon meat, deftly slices an onion, and dices peppers— in the backdrop, the gentle hiss of a propane stove provides the soundtrack to his makeshift kitchen.

He assembles the savoury mix between slices of bread, crafting a simple sandwich – literally the life bread of hundreds in the Palestinian enclave devastated by months of Israeli siege.

Carrying these sandwiches in hand, he steps outside the tent, where a group of curious children awaits. As they take their first bites, their scepticism transforms into broad smiles.

Their verdict is unanimous: "This is delicious"!

Meet Hamada Shaqura, a Gaza-based 32-year-old food blogger who has turned adversity into an opportunity to feed people – especially children – amid Israel’s brutal war.

With a staggering 200,000 followers on Instagram, Shaqoura's improvised kitchen also serves as a window to the resourcefulness and resilience prevalent in Palestinian life since 1948, a period marked by the forced expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their homeland by Israel.

Since October last year, Israel has tightened its 17-year blockade on the enclave, exacerbating an already heavy reliance on humanitarian aid.

Despite the widespread violence that has displaced over two million people and resulted in the death of over 34,000 Palestinians, experts caution that hunger and disease may pose an even greater threat than bombs and bullets, potentially causing more casualties.

“The initiative started from the idea of ​​renewing and using the canned food that we get from food aids for cooking in a different and delicious way and to make foods that are not currently available, which we used to eat before the war,” Shaqoura tells TRT World.

“I make food for children, and they love it very much. So I became encouraged to always make it for them, wait for their reaction, and find out what they liked most and what they would like from me to make something different for them.”

Shaqoura, however, insists he is not a chef – he identifies himself as a food blogger who has collaborated with numerous restaurants in marketing and management capacities. Through extensive experience in this field, he has acquired the skills to prepare simple dishes, drawing upon practical knowledge gained from professional work.

Waiting in hours-long queues for humanitarian rations, Shaqoura transforms the limited supplies into pizza wraps, fettuccine crepe and rice with milk - each recipe born out of necessity.

“Obtaining food and ingredients is very difficult, as it depends on the aid that reaches us. Unfortunately, it is not sufficient and does not arrive on a continuous basis. It can be bought from the markets, but its price is very high,” he says.

His initial meals from humanitarian rations consisted of canned beans and cheese, Shaqoura adds.

While the deliveries fluctuate, they predominantly comprise canned items such as chickpeas, beans, peas, and preserved meats. Fresh food is a rarity, with only minimal amounts of vegetables occasionally available. At times, deliveries may include jam, sugar, and salt.

However, hunger remains a pressing issue in Rafah and across all areas affected by the conflict.

“Food aid is insufficient, neither in nutritional value nor in quantity.”

Prominent international observers have called the hunger crisis in Gaza the most severe in history. Several of these watchdog groups have attributed this dire situation to human actions, emphasising the urgent need for Israel to allow vital food, medical supplies, and other necessities into Gaza.

The urgency heightened following Israeli airstrikes that resulted in the deaths of seven aid workers affiliated with World Central Kitchen. In response to the criticism, Israel vowed to relax the blockade on Gaza; however, reports from experts in the region suggest minimal improvement thus far.

But the children's reaction the first time was what encouraged Shaqoura to continue, as he witnessed their joy in tasting food, a simple pleasure they had been deprived of for six months due to the war.

Originally from Gaza City in the north, Shaqoura and his family were forced to relocate due to persistent Israeli assaults.

They initially sought refuge in Khan Younis, a city situated south of Gaza. However, as the conflict escalated, they were forced to move even further south, eventually settling in a tent within the refugee camps of Rafah. Shaqoura, alongside his wife, currently awaits the birth of their first child, anticipated to arrive in May.

Before the recent war, Shaqoura worked in digital marketing for various projects, particularly within the restaurant industry, alongside his role as a food blogger.

He was involved in setting up a video production studio and operated from his home.

But all that is gone now. His house was destroyed, and along with that, his studio.

“Always there is hope. Inshaallah (God willing), we as Palestinians can obtain the appropriate opportunities to show the world that we are creative in all fields.”