Careem has partnered with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) on Groceries for Gaza, a campaign that lets UAE residents fund food boxes for families in Gaza through the Careem app. It launched on 15 October, the day before World Food Day.
Customers can donate in a few taps from Careem Quik, either on its own or added to their regular grocery order. Careem says it passes every donation to WFP, which buys the food and delivers it to families in greatest need in Gaza. The company has invited users to join a pledge to raise AED 2 million this month.
The Need
According to the release, 1.4 million people in Gaza, or 2 in every 3, still face crisis or worse levels of acute food insecurity, and 80 percent of people are out of work. Each month WFP reaches around 1.5 million people with food parcels, wheat flour, bread, hot meals, school snacks, nutrition services and cash. It adds that if assistance is not sustained, up to 90 percent of the population could face high levels of acute food insecurity by the end of the year.
The Boxes
There are four donation options, each covering the cost of a WFP food box that feeds a family of five. A box holds fortified wheat flour, pasta, lentils, beans, chickpeas, tomato paste, vegetable oil, salt and halva. The largest, which feeds a family for a month, contains more than 47 kg of food, including 25 kg of flour.
Mudassir Sheikha, Co-founder and CEO of Careem, said: “Through Seeds for Gaza, our customers and partners raised more than AED 3 million.” Bashar Al Hammami, Head of WFP Global Office in the UAE, said: “Partners like Careem help us keep food reaching the families who need it most, and give people in the UAE a simple way to help.”
Groceries for Gaza: Details
- How to donate: open the Careem app, tap Quik, find the Groceries for Gaza banner, choose a box, add it to the basket and check out
- Where: across the UAE, until 31 October 2026
- AED 92: feeds a family of five for 3 to 4 days
- AED 184: feeds a family of five for 1 week
- AED 367: feeds a family of five for 2 weeks
- AED 734: feeds a family of five for 1 month
- Note: WFP does not endorse any product or service