Preparing to send trucks of aid from Cairo
[image copyright: Refugee Biriyani & Bananas]

by E. Mark Windle

 “This food means my daughter will wake up tomorrow with strength in her  body. She will not go to sleep on an empty stomach. I have not been able to give her that. You found us when no one else could.”

Ahlam, a mother, Gaza

Adequate nutrition is the cornerstone of physical wellbeing. As well as a basic requirement for survival, it protects against infection, repairs our bodies after injury, keeps us mobile and able to work or contribute to society. Food also performs a vital social role, helping us bond with family, friends and the wider community.

This month we explore how Refugee Biriyani & Bananas provide food aid across Cairo, Chios and Gaza, in an effort to meet the nutritional and cultural needs of people arriving from countries of conflict or economic hardship. Many challenges to food distribution exist but there are also different ways in how we can make it happen.

Food parcels

In humanitarian crises, the ability to make food choices preserves dignity and provides a sense of control amidst unpredictable, chaotic or dangerous daily life. To ensure that RBB’s aid is relevant, we listen closely to the needs of the community.

Typical Chios food parcel 
[image copyright: Beth Cohen / Studio B and Refugee Biriyani & Bananas]

On the Greek island of Chios, we are the only NGO providing food parcels to those residing in and around the island’s Vial Refugee Camp. Where possible we give people the means to prepare their own meals, which is preferred by the community. Food packs may contain long-lasting staple foods such as rice, lentils and flour; protein-rich eggs, tinned sardines and chicken; and other items including cooking oil, sugar, dates and vegetables. Even items like tomato sauce, mayonnaise and cola have been requested. Similar food parcels are also distributed in Cairo where we support Sudanese, South Sudanese, Yemeni and Eritrean communities.

“We’re dropping off the last 180 boxes for our RBB distribution to a Palestinian community in Cairo. It’s truly amazing to be here on the ground with Ruhi and the team, seeing with my own eyes how donations are being used and how grateful people are for the aid.”

Aria Wells (Greentea Peng)
Recording artist and RBB volunteer / supporter

Aria Wells (Greentea Peng) with the RBB team in Chios 
[image copyright: Refugee Biriyani & Bananas]

RBB has been active in Gaza since October 2023 distributing family food parcels, sweet treats for children, sacks of flour, vegetables and clean water. This often involves the acquisition and distribution of locally sourced supplies by our Gaza-based team. Trucks of aid are also sent from Cairo. Gaza’s chronic border closures imposed by Israeli forces can restrict incoming aid, but even in these situations RBB strives to make sure none goes to waste. When two of our trucks were stopped from entering Gaza at the Rafah crossing, we successfully repurposed the food to support displaced Palestinian, Sudanese and other communities in Cairo.

Food also has cultural and spiritual importance. In many religions, holy days and events are marked by the sharing of celebratory food items and feasts (such as during Ramadan and at Christmas) and by periods of fasting. As well as having a spiritual purpose, these practices reinforce a sense of belonging and identity. RBB tailors food aid to respect cultural needs. Ramadan parcels have included rice, pasta, beans and peas, cheese, cooking oil, Egyptian tea and dates—everything needed by families to observe the holy month and to break the fast.

Food vouchers and community kitchens

While bulk purchasing of food is more cost effective and potentially reaches more people, RBB has utilised food voucher systems in certain situations. Vouchers give users the flexibility to buy items according to their own requirements. However, ease of access to supermarkets is an important factor. Due to the location of Vial Camp on Chios—eight kilometres and a three-hour walk to the nearest town—direct food parcel distribution is the most effective method.

Supermarket vouchers and food distributed in Athens 
[image copyright: Refugee Biriyani & Bananas]

Displaced people often arrive in a new country with limited financial means or material possessions. For those who lack the facilities or utilities to prepare food, organised community kitchens are one way of making cooked meals available for those who need them. In an emergency shelter in the 6th of October region of Cairo, RBB supports a new kitchen initiative that provides two cooked meals per day to Sudanese, Yemeni and Somali communities.

Our impact

2025 marked 10 years since RBB began its journey as a volunteer-led response. Political, financial and conflict-related barriers to supporting people with aid are ever-present. Despite these obstacles, we strive to meet the needs of the most vulnerable—communities in crises which may not hit the headlines but which may also be overlooked by other agencies.

The impact of our food aid distributions is one demonstration of our commitment. RBB continues to support more people year after year. In 2024-2025 we reached almost three times as many as previous year, spent 50% more on food supplies, and distributed 42% more food packs and other items. 

From the latest available data, during 2025:

• Approximately 180,000 people overall were supported by the organisation
• RBB spent £175,000 on food supplies
• With financial and in-kind donations, a total of 18,000 individual, community-directed food packs were distributed

Community response

We also value the feedback received from communities. During one Ramadan distribution on the Greek islands, Abdullah from Yemen and Esmat from Sudan—both living in the camp and volunteering with RBB—paused to tell us how much the appreciated the inclusion of dates in our food parcels:

“The dates you provided are so important to us. Especially in Ramadan, they are something that’s familiar and traditional. We approached one of the big aid agencies to talk to them about food during Ramadan for Muslims. They didn’t seem to care about that. We were sad because we wanted to change the time of getting the aid and the kind of food we were getting to respect this holy period. A lot of people want to fast and don’t have the food they need for suhoor. Thank you for supporting us.”

Each setting and community has its own unique needs which may require one or a combination of approaches to food provision. The aim is always to give the people we support as much variety and choice as possible. We achieve this through listening to our communities, working closely with our teams on the ground and using trusted partners.

Please help us to continue this workin Cairo, Gaza and the Greek islands by donating today to Refugee Biriyani & Bananas.