Gaza Kitchens To Global Failure: How Humanitarian Action Is Outpacing World Systems

2026-02-04 02:50:47

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) As conflicts, climate shocks and economic crises stack up worldwide, humanitarian leaders say action on the ground is moving faster than global systems designed to protect the vulnerable, according to speakers at a high-level panel held on the sidelines of the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity.

The session, 'Humanitarian Response in Action: Leading with Courage, Compassion and Integrity', brought together former heads of state, UN officials and humanitarian practitioners a day before the award ceremony in the UAE capital.

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Reflecting on lessons from recent global crises, Dr Ghada Waly, Director-General/Executive Director of UNOV/UNODC, said the Covid-19 pandemic had exposed deep fragility and inequality in global preparedness.

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“When we move from a crisis to another - be it climate change, war, an economic crisis or a pandemic - Covid taught us that nobody is safe until all of us are safe,” she said, adding that institutions must build capacity during times of peace in order to respond effectively when crises strike.

'Hunger doesn't wait': Gaza response

Concrete action, speakers said, often begins far from international conference halls. Javier García, CEO of World Central Kitchen (WCK) and a 2025 Zayed Award honouree, described how the organisation is responding in Gaza by working directly with local communities despite the ongoing war.

“Right now, we are cooking a million hot meals a day,” García said.“They are building kitchens out of the rubble... without being able for us to send any construction materials.” He said communities had taken the lead - welding, plumbing, baking and building - to create kitchens capable of producing up to 200,000 meals a day, emphasising that“hunger doesn't wait”.

“We show up ready to listen,” he said.“The solution to all the problems that we're trying to solve is right there.” World Central Kitchen was among last year's Zayed Award recipients, recognised for its rapid-response food relief in conflict and disaster zones.

Global institutions 'lack moral courage'

While praising humanitarian efforts, speakers were blunt in their assessment of global governance. José Ramos-Horta, President of East Timor and Nobel Peace Laureate, criticised what he described as the failure of the post–World War II international security architecture.

"There is no lack of principles, no lack of international mechanisms,” he said, pointing to the UN Charter, human rights treaties and international courts.“What has collapsed is the moral and ethical commitment of the international community.”

At the community level, Ramos-Horta stressed the importance of listening.“Dialogue doesn't mean speeches. Dialogue means you listen, listen, and listen,” he said, warning that exclusion of ethnic or religious groups eventually breeds resentment and conflict.“I'm sick and tired of listening about proclamations of principles,” he added.“There is a lack of moral courage to take action to prevent conflict.”

Dr Waly said the erosion of the rule of law globally had contributed to rising violence and instability.“If you don't have rule of law, then it's going to be about the mighty and people who have the power,” she said, warning that double standards had encouraged further violations.

Rather than waiting for global systems to reform, she urged greater investment in resilient communities, built on education, health, mental wellbeing, social protection and inclusion.“We need to invest in children and communities to create resilience - resilience of individuals, resilience of communities, and resilience at regional and global levels,” she said.

Children must come first

Child rights advocate Kailash Satyarthi, the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize laureate and a Zayed Award judging committee member, said protecting children must be the world's top policy priority.

“Invest in children. Prioritise children in policymaking, political decisions and budgetary allocations,” he said, calling it a“futuristic vision”. Satyarthi highlighted the scale of global inequality, noting that“less than 10 days of global military expenditure can ensure education for all children”.

“This is the time to break inertia and inaction,” he said.“Let us globalise compassion.”

Closing the discussion, speakers highlighted trust as the foundation of effective humanitarian work. Dr Waly pointed to examples in health and food aid where credibility, transparency and equal access had enabled organisations to mobilise funding from individuals, the private sector and governments.“The public-private partnership becomes easier because of trust and credibility,” she said.

Despite sharp criticism of global systems, García struck a note of cautious optimism.“The world is not in such a bad shape as we think it is,” he said.“Complexity can be solved with simplicity - if you leave room for communities to be part of the solution.”