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Doha – Starbucks Corporation and its regional partner Alshaya Group announced on April 16 a joint $3 million donation to World Central Kitchen to help provide meals to people facing food insecurity in Gaza.
The pledge comes as Starbucks faces ongoing backlash and boycotts over its support for Israel amidst their devastating war on Gaza.
The Starbucks Foundation, the company’s charitable arm, and Kuwait-based Alshaya Group, which operates around 1,900 Starbucks stores across the Middle East and North Africa, committed the funds in March to provide the equivalent of one million meals to Gazans in need through World Central Kitchen.
The organizations have also launched an employee donation-matching initiative to raise additional aid.
“We are heartbroken for all the people impacted by the situation in Gaza, and the many people at risk of hunger,” said Duncan Moir, president of Starbucks Europe, Middle East and Africa
In an official press release, Starbucks stated, “we’re committed to contributing positively and supporting others who do so. In response to the great need for humanitarian aid in Gaza, we are donating to help provide food to people who are suffering.”
The pledge follows the tragic deaths of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers who were killed in a widely condemned Israeli airstrike in Gaza earlier this month. The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) admitted judgment errors contributed to the strike and fired two reserve officers while sanctioning two commanders over the incident. However, many world leaders and the international community are strongly condemning the act as more than a lack of judgment.
World Central Kitchen said it has paused operations in the region as it reevaluates the security situation.
“We grieve with World Central Kitchen’s team and their families around the world,” read a statement from Alshaya Group. “As the organization takes the time to reevaluate when its operations will resume in the region, our commitment remains unwavering. We will continue to stay close to World Central Kitchen to ensure they have the resources for their humanitarian mission to proceed.”
Mohammed Alshaya, Executive Chairman of Alshaya Group, expressed the company’s sorrow over the unfolding tragedy. “We are deeply saddened by the mass tragedy that is unfolding in Gaza, and our hearts are with all the people affected,” he said.
He continued, “we are committed to supporting our local communities and our partners and, inshallah, through these donations we will provide aid and relief to the people of Gaza.”
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, over 1.1 million people in Gaza are facing “catastrophic levels of food insecurity” as the brutal war rages on. The enclave was home to more than 2 million residents before the war began.
Enough to save a PR crisis?
While Starbucks and Alshaya Group’s pledge will provide critical aid, many activists argue it is not enough given the coffee giant’s complicity with Israel’s actions. Starbucks and its former CEO Howard Schultz have long faced allegations of supporting the Israeli government, which the company has repeatedly denied.
Social media users have argued that Starbucks’ donation to provide aid in Gaza is a step in the right direction but falls short of addressing the root causes of the conflict. Many believe that the pledge is insufficient given the perception that Starbucks openly supports Israel’s actions against Palestinians.
Posts across various platforms maintain that charitable giving cannot make up for the company’s alleged political stances. Activists on social media have vowed to continue applying pressure on Starbucks, calling for boycotts and protests until the company completely severs its ties with Israel.
Starbucks’ latest efforts have done little to quell the outrage of pro-Palestinian activists, who continue to organize worldwide boycotts and protests against the Seattle-based coffee chain since the war began.
Ongoing viral social media campaigns with hashtags like #BoycottStarbucks are damaging the company’s brand and impacting its bottom line. These continuing boycotts are set to have a “material impact” on its business.
In March, Alshaya Group announced it would lay off over 2,000 employees, about 4% of its workforce, citing “continually challenging trading conditions” over the past six months.
The backlash has led to confrontations and vandalism at Starbucks locations globally. Videos of protesters entering stores and yelling at employees or customers have garnered millions of views online. Other footage shows storefronts with broken windows or graffiti accusing the company of “supporting apartheid.”
This is not the first time Starbucks has grappled with its complex regional relationships. The company shuttered its stores in Israel in 2003, citing “operational challenges.”
The coffee giant is one of many Western companies facing pressure over political and humanitarian issues in Israel-Palestine. McDonald’s and KFC have dealt with similar boycotts and controversies.
According to Reuters, McDonald’s franchises in the Gulf states, Jordan and Turkey issued statements distancing themselves from their Israeli counterpart after it provided meals to IOF soldiers.
Read also: McDonald’s Loses $7 Billion in Boycott Over Israel Support
