As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues, an interfaith relief effort mobilized by the Taiwanese Buddhist humanitarian organization Tzu Chi Foundation and supported by donors in Türkiye, Taipei Grand Mosque, and local volunteers in Gaza is providing hot meals and essential food supplies to displaced families facing acute food insecurity.
The conflict in Gaza has crippled infrastructure and living conditions, with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) estimating that human development in the Gaza Strip has regressed by 77 years since October 2023. More than 60 per cent of residents have lost their homes and 1.9 million people have been displaced.
“With medical facilities heavily damaged and supply chains disrupted, basic necessities have become scarce,” Tzu Chi emphasized. “For many families, finding clean water and securing a single meal are constant struggles.” (Tzu Chi Foundation)
The initiative has brought together students, parents, and teachers at El Menahil International School in Türkiye, who have organized charity sales and fundraising campaigns, with local relief workers in Gaza coordinating food distributions to families living in overcrowded tent camps.
According to Tzu Chi, severe food shortages have become a daily reality for many living in overcrowded tent camps. Among them is Saif, a 15-year-old boy sheltering with his family of eight, who carefully portions out the family’s limited food so that his younger siblings can eat.
“If I don’t have food, I sleep,” Saif said. “When I fall asleep, I forget the hunger.” (Tzu Chi Foundation)
Tzu Chi noted that Saif’s greatest wish was simply that his younger brothers and sisters would not have to experience the pain of an empty stomach.
Despite the desperation, the humanitarian crisis has produced acts of profound compassion, with many displaced Gaza residents supporting others facing similar hardships.
Among them is Aisha, 41, a former eye-care professional whose family of five has been displaced seven times since the conflict escalated. Now living in a tent in Deir al-Balah, she volunteers with a local relief team to carry out home visits and help distribute food to vulnerable households.
“I am a survivor myself, so I can better understand the suffering of our compatriots,” Aisha said. (Tzu Chi Foundation)
Tzu Chi noted that helping others had become a source of strength for Aisha, and that seeing mothers able to feed their families, and children smiling as they receive food had helped to instill in her a renewed sense of purpose.
The international relief effort began with fundraising by the El Menahil International School community in Türkiye. Working in partnership with the Taipei Grand Mosque and local organizations in Gaza, the initiative established a hot-meal program for displaced families. Between September 2025 and early February 2026, the partnership organized 31 hot-meal distributions, reaching 52,910 people across 9,620 households. While acknowledging that individual meals could not resolve the broader humanitarian crisis, the organizers said the assistance provided vital nourishment to families enduring prolonged hardships.
“Recognizing the need for sustained support, the initiative expanded to include structured volunteer training,” Tzu Chi said. “Starting in late February 2026, remote training sessions were organized to establish a dedicated local team and implement a systematic home visitation program.
“Fifteen volunteers from Gaza City, Nuseirat, and Deir al-Balah began visiting displaced families in the tent camps. By assessing the specific needs of each household, they gathered essential data to coordinate more effective relief. Based on family size, basic supplies—including rice, flour, cooking oil, beans, sugar, and canned food—were allocated.” (Tzu Chi Foundation)
Tzu Chi added that food assistance and educational support were expected to continue through December 2026, combining ongoing humanitarian relief with learning opportunities for children whose education had been disrupted by the conflict. By strengthening local volunteer networks while addressing immediate needs, the initiative seeks to provide sustained support for displaced families living through one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises.
As a global icon of socially engaged Buddhism, Master Cheng Yen has expressed a deeply held belief that all people are capable of manifesting the same great compassion as the Buddha. She has noted that true compassion is not simply feeling sympathy for the suffering of others, but is found in reaching out to relieve suffering with concrete action.
Master Cheng Yen is popularly known in Taiwan as one of the “Four Heavenly Kings” of Buddhism, the others being: Master Sheng Yen, founder of Dharma Drum Mountain; Master Hsing Yun, founder of Fo Guang Shan; and Master Wei Chueh, founder of Chung Tai Shan. These four global Buddhist orders, correspondingly known as the “Four Great Mountains,” have grown to become among the most influential Chinese Buddhist organizations in the world.
See more
Tzu Chi Foundation
Hot meals sustain displaced residents amid ongoing conflict in Gaza (Tzu Chi Foundation)
Gaza: Human development set back 77 years as recovery costs rise to $71 billion (United Nations)
Related news reports from BDG
Engaged Buddhism: Tzu Chi Foundation Marks 60th Anniversary with Global Celebration
Engaged Buddhism: Tzu Chi Expands Outreach in Nepal with Great Love Village and Lumbini Campus Expansion
Engaged Buddhism: Tzu Chi Delivers Food and Hope for Schools in South Sudan
Engaged Buddhism: Tzu Chi Delivers Compassionate Relief to Flood Victims in Sumatra
Engaged Buddhism: Tzu Chi Volunteers Offer Free Dental Care for Displaced Gaza Families in Jordan
Related features from BDG
The Compassionate Relief of Tzu Chi – Inspiring Great Love in the United States and Around the World
