Speaking from Lviv in Ukraine, José Andrés, a Spanish-American two-star Michelin chef who runs the non-profit World Central Kitchen (WCK), claimed that the UN and the EU do not have enough “boots on the ground” to care for the refugees. The WCK has been serving more than 3 million meals in the region since the beginning of the Russian invasion. “We have to expect more from the big organizations. If not, my question is why do we have them? “What are we spending our millions on?” he said. “We lack this leadership.” While praising the work of the Polish government, he said that taking care of the basic needs of refugees is a “giant undertaking” that needs more support. The crisis has displaced more than 10 million people, according to UN figures. At least 3.7 million people have fled Ukraine – 2.2 million of whom are in Poland – and an estimated 6.5 million have been internally displaced. The WCK, which responds to natural disasters and humanitarian crises around the world, arrived at the Medyka border crossing in Poland within hours of the invasion and almost immediately began feeding refugees fleeing Ukraine. The network of more than 200 staff and volunteers now provides around 180,000 meals a day across Ukraine, Poland, Hungary, Moldova and Romania. Andrés’s comments came as NATO and G7 leaders gathered in Brussels on Thursday for emergency meetings on the Ukraine crisis. Instead of talking and watching the situation worsen remotely, Andrés said, leaders should implement systems to help refugees find safety and better protect women and children from extinction. The restaurant community across Ukraine has come together to help deliver food – even under heavy Russian bombing, occupation and siege. WCK works with more than 150 catering restaurants and chefs in Ukraine. In Mariupol, Andrés said, chefs have been able to hunt deer and make stews, even though they are under siege, and many are cooking in warehouses. “Chefs are heroes. “They cook in warehouses, they cook under the shell and they collect food in any way they can,” he added. “This is the moment when everyone does what they can with what they have in their hands.” Karla Hoyos, the chef who heads WCK cuisine near the border in Prezmyśl, Poland, flew there on a one-way ticket from Miami four days after the invasion, exploring Ukrainian comfort food on the plane. Within six days they built the kitchen from scratch in an empty warehouse, now producing between 10,000 and 12,000 meals a day, including borscht, chicken stew and cups of hot chocolate and broth. Mariupol, where chefs have hunted deer to make stews and cook in bunkers. Photo: EyePress News / Rex / Shutterstock “We send a message when we give food. We are sending a message of dignity, of hope – that you are not alone and we are here for you. “We want to make sure they have a decent meal that is made with thought, with love,” he said. “This is a consolation for you and we will do our best to give it to them.” While they were cooking, Hogios’s team went to the border to distribute hot drinks and she was shocked by the number of children and mothers. “I remember this lady, she was carrying a lot of luggage, she was pushing a wheelchair with her mother inside,” he said. “In 2022, why are people going through this? “It’s hard to accept that this is happening.” In Lviv, WCK is headquartered in Ukraine, procuring supplies that can then be distributed throughout the country and working with people from all over Ukraine to find ways to better support chefs who cook for their communities. Tim Kilcoyne, WCK’s Director of Assistance and Special Operations, said: “There are so many restaurants and small brasseries that continue to cook and many restaurants with basement kitchens that cook and do what they can to support shelters, orphanages and hospitals. ” The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said the mobilization inside Ukraine “proved to be a challenge, as many of our colleagues were displaced by the war and work under enormous security restrictions.” A spokesman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said: “Governments, with the support of local partners, are leading the emergency response within Ukraine and in neighboring countries. “Our goal is to support and complement these efforts where gaps are identified and where our assistance can have the greatest impact.” He added: “We are extremely grateful for the incredible support that NGOs and local actors, including WCK (with whom we work) have provided, to refugees fleeing Ukraine.” Citing an EU civil protection mechanism providing assistance and a € 500 million (15 415 million) emergency assistance package, a European Commission spokesman said: “It has mobilized the largest EU aid response to Ukraine and is working on all fronts to the country and its people with emergency assistance, including neighboring countries receiving people fleeing the invasion. ” But, they said, humanitarian access has made it difficult to transport aid to some areas.
