The Hope Caravan Foundation (Umut Kervanı) has begun delivering canned Qurbani meat to families in the Gaza Strip after processing sacrificial animals donated by supporters for Palestine, providing much-needed food assistance to Palestinians enduring an ongoing humanitarian crisis.

The initiative forms part of the foundation's 2026 Qurbani Campaign, through which sacrificial donations from benefactors around the world were distributed to millions of people in need. Giving special priority to Gaza, the organization arranged for Qurbani animals to be slaughtered in Egypt and India before processing the meat into canned food suitable for long-term storage and transportation into the besieged enclave.

Speaking to ILKHA, Muhammed Suna, a representative of Hope Caravan, said the operation required extensive logistical planning to ensure the meat safely reached Palestinians in Gaza.

"The sacrificial animals donated for Gaza were slaughtered in two different centers, Egypt and India. The meat processed in India was frozen at minus 18 degrees Celsius before being transported to Dubai, where it was preserved under appropriate conditions and processed into canned food with a shelf life of two years," Suna explained.

He said the meat underwent a carefully monitored production process that included thawing, cutting, cooking at temperatures of up to 70 degrees Celsius, hygienic packaging without direct human contact, sealing, leak-proof testing, and quality inspections before production and expiry dates were added.

After undergoing a week of quality monitoring, the canned meat was transported through Egypt before entering Gaza.

"This was an extremely challenging process for us," Suna said. "But seeing these Qurbani donations, offered during Eid al-Adha, finally reaching the tables of Gazan children and mothers and becoming a source of hope made every hardship worthwhile."

Suna noted that the canned meat was seasoned according to the culinary preferences of Gaza's residents and said the foundation had received overwhelmingly positive feedback from Palestinian families who benefited from the aid.

He added that the organization had also successfully delivered all canned Qurbani meat prepared during its 2025 campaign, demonstrating the effectiveness of the distribution model despite the difficult conditions surrounding humanitarian access to Gaza.

According to Suna, the prayers and gratitude expressed by Palestinian mothers and children have been a powerful source of encouragement for both the foundation's volunteers and the donors whose contributions made the project possible.

Suna warned that humanitarian assistance for Gaza has declined in recent months as some donors mistakenly believe conditions have improved following what he described as a "so-called ceasefire."

He stressed that Palestinians in Gaza continue to face severe shortages of food, medicine, and other basic necessities, emphasizing that humanitarian needs remain greater than ever.

"The people of Gaza still urgently need assistance," he said, calling on charitable organizations and donors to continue supporting relief efforts for Palestinians affected by the ongoing crisis.

Bilal Akbulut, Hope Caravan's representative in Kocaeli, who supervised part of the operation in Egypt, said the sacrificial meat entrusted by donors was transported without breaking the cold chain.

He explained that the meat was processed into canned food in accordance with international food safety standards before being dispatched to Gaza, ensuring that it reached Palestinian families in safe and consumable condition.

The delivery of the canned Qurbani meat comes as humanitarian organizations continue to warn of worsening food insecurity across Gaza, where prolonged Israeli aggression, widespread destruction, and restrictions on the movement of goods have left hundreds of thousands of Palestinians dependent on humanitarian aid for their daily survival. (ILKHA)