Published on: 2026-06-26
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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June 26, 2026 Culture and Education
A boy with a cardboard canvas looks at the viewer. His face is distorted by a scream. In another picture, a little girl carries pitchers of water, and nearby people hold empty bowls in their hands. However, the image that attracts the most attention is of a man whose head is bandaged, and his face is covered with graffiti in Arabic and English with the inscription Be human – “Be human.”
All these works were created by the Palestinian artist Ahmed Mughann. Instead of oil paint, he used cardboard boxes from the World Food Programme (WFP) — the very ones that during the two-year war in Gaza delivered food supplies that helped people survive.
Today, more than 60 of his works are exhibited at the exhibition organized by VPPP together with the European Union. Over nine months, the exposition has been in 16 cities of nine European countries—from Brussels and Bonn to Barcelona and Marseille—attracting tens of thousands of visitors.
“Art is universal. It resonates with the hearts of people,” notes Karolien Van Nespen, an employee of the Brussels office of the EPP, curating the exhibition. “That is precisely why these works so deeply touch visitors. They help to show the reality of life in Gaza.”
© VPP/A. Brumberg More than 60 works by the artist from Gaza are presented at the exhibition organized by VPP together with the European Union.
To preserve the memory of the war through art
Like millions of residents of the Gaza Strip, Munaanna, together with her family, was forced to leave her home after the start of the war in October 2023. She was so shocked by what she experienced that she completely abandoned drawing. However, after several months, the artist began conducting art therapy sessions for children who survived the war, and then picked up the brush again.
“Art has ceased to be just creativity for me. It has become a way to witness what is happening, to wound memory, and to express all the pain and hope,” says Musa Anna.
Food as a symbol of hope
Due to the closed border, paint supplies gradually ran out. Then Mu Anna began to draw with charcoal and coffee remnants. Instead of canvases, he used boxes from WFP food supplies, the contents of which today help almost 1.6 million residents of Gaza.
“These boxes were not just cardboard — they contained food that helped many families survive,” says the artist. “I wanted to show that food is not only a means to survive. It is also a symbol of hope.”
© WPP/A. Brumberg The exhibition opened in Brussels in September of last year.
Dialogue through art
The exhibition opened in Brussels in September of last year. It was presented as a lively European city square: some visitors deliberately went there after learning about it from the media or advertisements, others came by chance — as the organizers had anticipated.
“We wanted to reach out not only to those who already know about what is happening in Gaza,” Van Nespen said. “The exhibition was conceived as street art – free and accessible.”
“The drawings by Almeda deeply touched me,” noted Khadja Liabib, the European Commissioner for Equality and Crisis Management, at the opening of the exhibition. “These are very personal testimonies of what remains of life in Gaza. They show the entire hell that the sector is experiencing, but at the same time an incredible strength of the people continuing to live there.”
According to the organizers, the exhibition became not only an art project but also a space for discussions. Visitors spend several hours here, watching a documentary film about the artist and asking questions about the humanitarian situation in Gaza, the work of the UNRWA, and how help can be provided. Musa Anna herself was unable to leave the Gaza Strip and personally attend the exhibition.
© VPP/Dzh. Badvan The artist continues to paint and dreams of a future in which his children will be able to live without fear.
A dream of a simple life
Eight months after the cessation of hostilities, the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains extremely difficult. Fresh fruits and vegetables are still in short supply, most residents have lost their jobs, and continue to live in tents or partially destroyed buildings, trying to restart life amid the ruins.
In addition to food packages, WFP monthly provides people with hot meals, bread, and cash assistance, and also supports local entrepreneurs and communities, helping them gradually restore sources of income.
The artist himself continues to paint pictures and dreams of a future where his children will be able to live without fear.
“People here live one day at a time,” he says. “Many depend on humanitarian aid and on what neighbors and relatives are willing to share. Solidarity has become one of the main ways of survival.”
During the years of war, Mulan lost her family and friends. But she continues to draw.
“I dream that my family could live a simple and dignified life: in a safe home, with food on the table, with a future where survival ceases to be the main concern,” he says. “Our dreams have become very modest. But for us, they mean everything.”
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