José Andrés Is Already In Turkey To Deliver Aid To Earthquake Victims

Anyone tuned into the latest world events likely knows that a 7.8-magnitude earthquake shook four countries on Monday, February 6. Followed by nearly an equally-large aftershock and a quickly rising number of injured and deceased residents, the natural disaster has already been labeled as "one of the deadliest of the century," according to the New York Times. 

And while that tragedy alone would be enough to require many relief organizations to descend upon the affected areas, there's another reason that food charities and organizations are needed now more than ever.

According to Food Tank, nearly 30% of Turkey's population is under the poverty line and another 4.1 million Syrian refugees are food insecure in Northern Syria. Given the existing pressures, the earthquake only increased the desperate need for aid and food relief. Fortunately, there are several organizations on the ground and more in motion to set up relief points — including José Andrés and his non-profit, World Central Kitchen.

World Central Kitchen was founded by José Andrés in 2010 after the massive earthquake in Haiti. Since then, the non-profit has provided relief to communities experiencing food insecurity due to war, natural disasters, and other stressors. 

World Central Kitchen sets up and staffs kitchens with volunteers and local chefs to provide free food to those in need. Past relief centers include Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria in 2017, food insecure communities during Covid-19, and ongoing efforts to support Ukraine.

On Tuesday, February 7, José Andrés took to Twitter to share that he and other relief workers were en route to Turkey. While World Central Kitchen's Twitter account has not yet been updated with news from Turkey or surrounding countries, Food Tank has shared that the non-profit is working to set up relief points. 

Those that are already on the ground include the student-led Molham Team and World Food Programme. World Central Kitchen will be a welcome addition to the existing efforts. 

To stay up to date with Andrés and World Central Kitchen, follow them on Twitter.