Renado Atala is an unlikely internet sensation. He’s a 10-year-old chef with a repertoire of simple recipes, cooking in war-torn Gaza. She has nearly 1 million followers on Instagram, who witness her joy as she opens food aid parcels.
CBS News
We interviewed Lenado via satellite, even though he was only 80 miles away in Tel Aviv. (Israel does not allow outside journalists into Gaza, except for short trips with the armed forces.)
“There are many dishes I want to make, but the ingredients are not available on the market,” Renado said. “Milk used to be easy to buy, but now it has become very expensive.”
I asked, “How does it feel when so many people like your internet video?”
“All the comments were positive,” she said. “I read comments when I’m tired, sad, or need something to cheer me up.”
We sent a local photographer to Lenado’s home where she made ful, a traditional Middle Eastern bean stew. Her sister Noorhan said she never expected the video to go viral. “Great food,” Nourhan said, adding that his brother was “very surprised.”
After more than a year of war, the Gaza Strip is in ruins. Almost all have been forced from their homes. The United Nations says nearly 2 million people are experiencing critical levels of hunger.
Hamada Shakura is a chef who shows the outside world how Gazans live in tents, relying on aid supplies and cooking on gas burners.
Shakoula also volunteers with Watermelon Relief, a charity that makes sweets for children in Gaza.
In online videos, Shakora always looks very serious. When asked why, he replied, “There’s no need to smile. You’ll never know how tough life is here from what you see on screen.”
One recent morning, before dawn in Israel, we watched as the United Nations’ World Food Program headed across the border with nearly 20 trucks loaded with flour. The problem is not food shortages. The challenge is getting food into the Gaza Strip and into the hands of those who desperately need it.
The United Nations has repeatedly accused Israel of obstructing aid shipments to Gaza. The Israeli government denies this and claims Hamas is hijacking the aid.
“For the good of all parties on the ground, let the humanitarians do their job,” said Antoine Renard, the World Food Program’s director for the Palestinian Territories.
“Some people might look at these two chefs and think, “They’re cooking, there’s food,” I asked.
“They have food, but they don’t have proper food. They’re trying to cope with whatever they can get,” Leonard said.
Even in the darkest of times, food provides comfort. But for many in Gaza, the only thing that remains is the fear of not knowing where they will find their next meal.
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Story produced by Michaela Bufano. Editor: Carol Ross.
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