August 20, 2025 – The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s Executive Director John Acree held a live briefing with GHF Director of Partnerships Sean Osner and GHF Spokesman Chapin Fay to provide an operational update and key insights into their humanitarian experience, the realities of operating in Gaza and the impact on the communities we serve.
Our humanitarian team includes veterans of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), national and international NGOs, and the United Nations system, including the World Food Programme (WFP), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
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Chapin Fay:
Good afternoon, everyone. Thanks for being here. I’m Chapin Fay, spokesperson for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Our mission at GHF is simple. Deliver food to the people of Gaza at scale and with humanity. Today, we’re going to take you deeper into our humanitarian efforts, who we are, what we do and why our model is the only one operating at this scale, in this conflict, with this level of consistency, dignity, and impact. We will likely hit over 130 million meals served in less than 3 months today. Our humanitarian model is built by experts with decades of humanitarian experience in conflict zones across the globe. Our team includes veterans of the ICRC, national and international NGOs, and the UN system, including WFP, UNHCR, and UNICEF. You’ll hear about the experience of our humanitarian team, the realities of operating in Gaza, and the impact on the communities we serve. Later, you’ll hear from one of our team members who has spent his entire career responding to humanitarian crises around the world. We’ve stood up one of the only aid efforts capable of delivering consistent, secure distributions under incredibly complex conditions. And we’ve done it by relying on international best practices including security protocols, long used by the UN, USAID, WFP, and nearly every major humanitarian organization in conflict zones. Armed escorts and peacekeeping support are not new. They’re standard operating procedure in crises like this. What we’re doing in Gaza is no different. We’re operating in an active war zone. The idea that armed guards at our safe distribution sites somehow make us not humanitarian ignores decades of precedent and the basic realities of conflict response. What makes our work unique is that it’s working safely, securely, at scale, and with dignity. Humanitarians lead this mission and the people of Gaza are at the heart of it. Today’s briefing starts with our Executive Director, John Acree, who has spent decades in humanitarian work. John, floor is yours.
John Acree:
Thank you, Chapin. And good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for being here. My name is John Acree, Executive Director for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. I want to talk to you today about the GHF team working to help feed the Palestinians in Gaza. Before I tell you more about our team and our humanitarian operation I want to spend a few minutes talking about Gaza, and why it’s so complex. We’re delivering food in an active war zone. We are working in dense, urban areas where the difference between civilian and combatant is not always clear. Unlike other conflict zones, people are not able to flee. There is nowhere to turn. The borders are closed. This isn’t a refugee crisis where displaced families flow into camps and aid flows in behind them. This is more like a large arena. Sealed from the outside, where more than 2 million people are trying to survive with a two-year kinetic conflict enveloping everything. Traditional food aid delivery mechanisms simply do not work. Our GHF humanitarian team is one of the most capable, committed groups of professionals I’ve ever worked with, men and women who have dedicated their careers to this work. Many GHF staffers come from the United Nations, USAID, and the international NGO community. Among them, they have served in more than 40 countries responding to rapid onset disasters in Southeast Asia and the Caribbean to protracted conflict emergencies in Iraq, Syria, Niger, Cambodia, among others. They’ve worked on child protection, gender-based violence, humanitarian access, emergency nutrition, monitoring and evaluation, logistics, large-scale program, on and on and on. Our humanitarian experts helped us build this successful GHF model, the only model that is consistently delivering food to the people of Gaza at scale today. You’re going to hear their stories. Many of our staff would have preferred to share those stories with you directly, but they can’t. The hostile misinformation environment, Created by online activist, false media amplification and Hamas-aligned disinformation, and I would like to repeat that. Hamas-aligned disinformation has made it dangerous to speak out. Nearly everyone associated with GHF who has gone public has faced death threats, harassment of their families, and vandalism of their homes, simply for trying to feed the Palestinian people in Gaza, myself included. And the danger isn’t only online. Our team faces real, physical threats on the ground, and Hamas has issued written edicts against our employees. The fact that doing this work has become a danger is a tragedy but it hasn’t stopped us. It’s only made us more determined to tell the truth, and to continue delivering aid to the people of Gaza. They are joined by our local worker teams, who are at the core of our aid operation. And while our global team brings deep experience to this mission, the true engine behind our success is local. Our local workers are not only the backbone of our operation, They are the heartbeat. They make everything possible. These individuals are our frontline ambassadors and they serve as the bridge between our broader team and the local populations. Their insights are critical to the success of our distribution efforts, especially for targeted programs, like women and children-only distribution days. We rely on their real-time feedback to adapt our approach quickly and effectively. This ground-level responsiveness has pushed all of us even the most seasoned humanitarian professionals to rethink how aid is delivered in the midst of conflict. They accompany Gazans if they require assistance or medical care from our team and from the Samaritan’s Purse team, holding hands, listening, and making sure no one feels alone. They translate, not just words, but culture. They help us understand local-tribal dynamics, who’s been displaced from where, and how can we avoid unintended tensions. They make it personal. Without them, a delivery is just a cold transaction with them, it’s an act of dignity, an example. We spoke with groups of women to better understand their needs, and they told us they want more canned beans instead of dried ones because they are easier to cook. They wanted onions, so we started distributing onions. They also said they wanted a dedicated distribution just for them. And we made that happen. It’s a continuous learning process, but by speaking with them and forging connections on a daily basis, we have a better understanding of what they need, where they come from, and how we can improve our sites to better serve them. Our local workers are doing all of this under threat.
Hamas has issued a written edict, as I said before threatening to kill anyone who works with GHF, and carried out that threat in June. Murdering 12 workers as they returned home. Many of our local workers have had to move their families repeatedly to avoid being targeted. In some cases Hamas has directly contacted relatives and warned them to force their loved ones to quit or face consequences. The intimidation is constant, the pressure is enormous and still they show up day in and day out. They are among the bravest people we’ve ever worked with. Some are practicing attorneys, some are doctors, some are electrical or mechanical engineers. One was a police officer in North Africa, one is a university professor. These are leaders in their communities. When war shattered everything, they chose to serve. Because of them, our SDS sites are not just safe, they are trusted. Our operation is truly Gazans feeding Gazans. They know their neighborhoods, their families, their fears. They help us identify needs and other things that others might miss. Who’s dealing with illness? Who needs help carrying food? Whose families deserve food because it’s been a long time since they had anything? The world should know these stories. These workers are not feeding their fellow Gazans, they’re standing up to Hamas, to chaos, to fear. Every day they show up, they are choosing hope over terror. And we are proud to serve beside them. We’re often asked what we hear from civilians on the ground in Gaza, so I want to take a moment to highlight the connection our workers have with the local population. According to one of our humanitarian staff members, “What many outside observers don’t see is the growing trust that is developed between Gazans and our humanitarian staff. The fact that they come to speak with us every day is a testament to that trust.” That is what our humanitarian team does. They form these kinds of connections with help of our local staff. It’s what helps GHF succeed in our mission to feed the people of Gaza. It’s how we’ve been able to adapt, grow, and learn so that we can continue to provide directly to those men, women, and children in this war zone. Now I’d like to introduce Sean Osner, GHF’s Director of Partnerships. Sean is a lifelong humanitarian and a long-time colleague of mine. He served as USAID’s Country Director for Niger and held numerous field positions in the Middle East and North Africa. He speaks Arabic, has worked for the United Nations, and spent more than two decades on the front lines of crisis response. Sean, thank you for being here. Take it away.
Sean Osner:
John, thanks. Good morning, everyone. Sabah el khir, Boker Tov. John, as you mentioned, I have worked in the region for over 20 years. I started with the United Nations as a UN volunteer, and then later with USAID as a diplomat with numerous assignments overseeing food distribution, as well as dealing with refugee issues. I’ve worked in some conflict zones and humanitarian crises throughout my professional life, in tough places like Mali, Niger, Iraq, and Lebanon, and later in easier places like Egypt, Jordan, and even Jamaica. The work we’re doing here at GHF is deeply aligned with both my experience and my sincere commitment to the values and principles of humanitarian work. In fact, I’m here today, speaking about my experience, because I believe in what we’re doing. On a more personal level I have many, many friends, as well as family from this part of the world. So when people label our sites as traps, or paint the narrative that we are only making things worse, I have to ask, why in the world would I partake in something that I don’t believe in? Why would I participate in something nefarious to a culture and a people that I cherish and who have given me so much personally. The situation in Gaza is difficult and dire. But with any humanitarian challenge, my first priority is always to connect with people on a human level. As an Arabic speaker, I like to focus on bridging cultural divides with empathy and respect. My approach has always been to listen, to understand people’s needs, and then respond in a way that’s thoughtful, practical, and grounded in a common reality. Our mission is constantly under threat, politically, logistically and reputationally. The challenge of building and sustaining partnerships in this environment is really unlike anything I’ve seen. Most organizations are conditioned to operate in an environment that looks a certain way. Gaza doesn’t look that way. Some organizations right now are putting principle before mission. But if your mission is to deliver emergency aid, then you either meet it, or you don’t. We’ve chosen to meet that goal and in fact, just today, we served over 3,000 women directly through our food distribution sites. People often ask me whether GHF is truly a humanitarian operation to this, I gotta say, look, we’re dedicated, I’ve dedicated my entire professional career to improving lives globally. Why would I risk everything to be here? One could even say, risk my life. On a daily basis, we’re leading teams, we’re standing besides our fellow local staff. If this isn’t humanitarian work, I don’t know what is. The claim is just wrong and quite frankly, it’s unwelcome and insensitive. If you’ll allow me, I’d just like to lift up some of the voices from my colleagues that couldn’t be here. One of our most experienced humanitarian leaders, with more than 20 years in the UN system. recently said, and I quote, “This is the most unusual and politically divisive humanitarian crisis that they’ve ever encountered.” And I agree. He goes on to say, “We are vilified by almost everyone.” And then says, “except the people who actually come to our sites for food.” Despite their diverse backgrounds, our humanitarian workers have all said that this conflict is completely different from their own previous work experiences. Quite plainly, because it is in an active war zone and there is nowhere for civilians to go. Colleagues often approach me and say, we’re a moral people in an immoral environment. We’re not a party to this conflict. We didn’t design these conditions, but we’re the ones showing up every day to help. Others tell me, my colleagues and I take a look at a situation, and we look at everything through the humanitarian prism. We go through a conventional humanitarian thought process. The problem is that this is an unconventional situation. It’s the most challenging situation I have ever seen. The normal tools and the normal rules simply do not apply. Another colleague, a humanitarian veteran, said to me, “It took a lot of guts for me to get on a plane, but I’m so glad I did.” We’re a team, we’re cohesive, people are friendly to each other, and we’re working together very well, and it’s helping our momentum to go forward. I want to make everything better for us, because it’s not about us or them, it’s about the people of Gaza. Full stop. Let me just conclude by saying that even in the darkest moments, we find light. The kids from Gaza at the sites, still smile, they still laugh. Our connection with the community is growing stronger every day and one day, I hope to go into Gaza, have a coffee, maybe some knafeh with some of the families that we’ve come to know there. Until then, we’re gonna keep showing up, listening and doing the hard work that needs to be done to ensure the people of Gaza have access to food. Thank you.
Chapin Fay:
Thank you, Sean. Thank you, John. We hope that these stories begin to resonate with those in the media. We’re proud now to include Samaritan’s Purse in our network, an organization known globally for its rapid response medical teams and commitment to serving in crisis zones. Their field hospitals, trauma care units, and emergency health teams set the standard for medical relief. We look forward to highlighting this and other critical areas of our humanitarian portfolio later this week, so stay tuned for future events like this.
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EMAIL US AT [email protected] IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR TO CONFIRM INFORMATION RELATED TO GHF’S HUMANITARIAN OPERATIONS IN GAZA.
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