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Several Austin restaurants are raising funds through food sales for humanitarian aid to support Gazans impacted by the Israel-Hamas conflict.
On October 7, militant group Hamas launched an attack in Israel, killing more than 1,400 people and taking more than 200 people hostage. In response, Israel began airstrikes against Hamas in Gaza, as well as temporarily cutting off access to water, food, and fuel in the area on top of the existing supply blockade (a limited number of aid trucks are now being allowed through Gaza’s border with Egypt at Rafah), which has contributed to a growing humanitarian crisis.
In Austin, the main fundraiser features several restaurants that will donate will donate a portion of their proceeds earned on Saturday, October 28. Participants include downtown halal food truck Yalla Burgers & Wings, Cedar Park barbecue restaurant Alzer’s Barbeque, West Campus halal restaurant Mighty Mo’s, far north Austin Indian-Pakistani restaurant Zaviya Grill, and MLK neighborhood halal hot chicken truck Bussin Buns. The money raised will be distributed by Palestinian refugee NGO United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA USA) and nonprofit Islamic Relief into their respective relief funds.
“We’re participating because what’s happening to [Gazans] is unimaginable and inhumane to say the least,” Bussin Buns’s Nashmi Almasri says in a statement to Eater over Instagram direct message. “So this is the only thing we can do to help.” The truck will donate half of its day’s proceeds to the fundraiser.
Alzer’s owner Naser Alzer, who is Palestinian American, tells Eater over Instagram direct message that the restaurant is participating because of “humanitarian reasons.”
This fundraising effort was put together by the Austin Muslim Community organization with the help of Austin halal food Instagrammer Mobs Food Critic and national food festival Halal Fest.
Additionally, North Austin deli and bakery Peace will donate its entire day’s sales on Saturday, October 28, towards charity nonprofit Pious Projects’s emergency relief for Gazans fundraiser. This effort was co-organized by the University of Texas at Austin’s Muslims Students’ Association, the Ahlul Bayt student organization, and the Arab Students Association; Austin community organization Palestine Solidarity Committee, and the Nueces Mosque in West Campus.
