World Central Kitchen worker killed in Gaza had ties to Miami

American and Canadian dual citizen Jacob Flickinger, 33, was one of seven aid workers killed in Israeli airstrikes Monday while in Gaza working for World Central Kitchen. His father is the founder of a prominent Miami nonprofit that helps children from marginalized communities.

The seven World Central Kitchen workers were traveling after unloading food aid for Gazans when their vehicles were hit by Israeli Defense Force airstrikes, according to the organization. The humanitarian workers were citizens of the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Australia, Poland and Gaza.

READ MORE: What is World Central Kitchen? Israeli airstrike kills seven aid workers, group says

World Central Kitchen was founded by chef José Andrés in 2010 after the Haiti earthquake. The Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit grew and now operates worldwide, feeding thousands of people during humanitarian crises and natural disasters.

Flickinger, who was killed in the airstrikes while working with the group, has ties to South Florida. His father, John Flickinger, is a Ransom Everglades School graduate who co-founded Summerbridge, which became Breakthrough Miami, a nonprofit that uses a “students-teaching-students” model to mentor and prepare underrepresented students for college. In 2020, Breakthrough Miami had three Gates Scholarship winners, one of the top college scholarships in the nation.

In a heartfelt message posted Wednesday on Facebook, John Flickinger mourned the loss of his son, who died “doing what he loved and serving others through his work with World Central Kitchen.”

Jacob Flickinger is survived by his partner, Sandy Leclerc, and their 1-year-old son.

His family could not be reached for comment Wednesday evening. But in an interview with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Flickinger’s parents said that he was born in Canada and lived in Miami until he was 5, when his parents separated and he moved back to Canada with his mother.

He served in the Canadian Armed Forces for 11 years, spending eight months in Afghanistan. He then settled down with Leclerc and had a son.

“They were a happy little family. Together, they were extremely happy and they loved each other desperately. And they had great projects for the future, for themselves and the child,” said Sylvie Labrecque, Flickinger’s mother.

Flickinger had done security work for another food aid mission in Acapulco, Mexico, after a hurricane and before he joined World Central Kitchen, his parents told the news outlet.

“He was the best, most loyal friend you could ask for,” his father said. “He touched many people.”

Andrés has told news organizations that he believes the Israeli military targeted the World Central Kitchen convoy.

“This was not just a bad luck situation where, ‘Oops, we dropped a bomb in the wrong place,’” Andrés told the Reuters news agency, noting that his team’s vehicles were clearly marked. “It’s very clear who we are and what we do.”

On Thursday, World Central Kitchen called for an independent investigation into the Israeli airstrikes.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that the World Central Kitchen workers had been mistakenly killed, calling the situation “a tragic event” that would be investigated, Reuters reported.

John Flickinger has said he believes the airstrikes were deliberate.

“Their convoy was marked, clearly marked, and they are on a well-used humanitarian route. So in my opinion, it was a targeted kill,” he said in the interview with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

“This war is senseless,” he added. “All wars are senseless.”