26 May 2025
Aid organisations named in a letter from a newly formed foundation bidding to deliver food aid in Gaza have sought to distance themselves from the controversial plan, which is expected to launch this week.
The letter, dated 22 May and obtained by Middle East Eye, was sent by Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) executive director Jake Wood to Cogat, the Israeli military unit overseeing aid logistics in Gaza.
In the letter, Wood thanks Cogat for its “constructive engagement” and starts by clarifying that Israel and GHF have agreed that non-food humanitarian aid – such as medical supplies, hygiene items and shelter materials – would be permitted to enter the enclave under the existing UN-led system.
Wood then indicates in the letter that food aid will continue to be distributed in parallel to GHF by “qualified humanitarian agencies” until his organisation scales up its capacity to “no fewer than eight secure distribution sites”.
He notes a recent call he said he convened with the CEOs of Save the Children, International Medical Corps, Catholic Relief Services, Mercy Corps, Care International and Project Hope.
“It was broadly agreed that these organisations should retain direct control and oversight of aid distribution while following humanitarian principles and control,” he said of the call.
“GHF acknowledges that we do not possess the technical capacity or field infrastructure to manage such distributions independently, and we fully support the leadership of these established actors in this domain.”
The letter angered some aid workers, who said engaging with GHF alone was problematic and that it had left them confused about the organisations’ positions on a plan that has been roundly rejected by the UN and the broader NGO community.
Other aid sources told MEE that the letter suggested that GHF is struggling to sell their plan as a result of the pressure and advocacy they have wielded, and is now rowing back from what it had originally pitched.
No agreements made
Four of the organisations on the call – Mercy Corps, Care International, Project Hope and Save the Children – have confirmed that they spoke to GHF but had not entered into any agreements with the group.
“While we joined an information meeting with GHF earlier this week – as we do with any actor involved in the humanitarian space – this should not be interpreted as agreement, endorsement or operational collaboration,” Courtney Ridgway, senior director of public relations for Project Hope, told MEE.
“We engaged solely to better understand their stated role and approach.”
Ridgway said Project Hope is not involved in food distribution and has not coordinated with GHF on any aid delivery plans.
