Gaza aid worker Zomi Frankcom ‘a warrior for humanity’

An Australian aid worker told her brother she had safely crossed a ‘dangerous’ checkpoint into northern Gaza, to his relief, before she was reported dead by authorities in an apparent Israeli airstrike.

Zomi Frankcom on a Royal Jordanian Air Force cargo plane after an aid airdrop to northern Gaza. Picture: X / World Central Kitchen

An Australian aid worker told her brother she had safely crossed a “dangerous” checkpoint into northern Gaza, to his relief, before she was reported dead by authorities in an Israeli airstrike.

The shattered family of Lalzawmi “Zomi” Frankcom say she was “killed doing the work she loves, delivering food to the people of Gaza”.

Others discovered their friend had died after video of five bodies at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza and images of a bloodied Australian passport were shared on social media.

“I’m deeply sorry to anyone who knew Zomi for finding out about her passing like this, as I did, via social media … this morning seeing her face for the last time,” Karuna Bajracharya wrote on Facebook, describing her as a “dear friend”.

Melbourne-born Ms Frankcom, 43, and six colleagues from the World Central Kitchen charity died when an Israeli strike hit their vehicle in central Gaza.

A second statement by WCK on Tuesday said the team of seven was travelling in a deconflicted zone in two armoured cars branded with the WCK logo and, despite co-ordinating movements with the Israel Defence Forces, was hit as it was leaving the Deir al-Balah warehouse, where their team had unloaded more than 100 tons of humanitarian food aid brought to Gaza by boat. WCK has now paused operations in the region.

The Australian passport of Frankcom, right.. Picture: X

The IDF called it a “tragic incident” and said it would “conduct a thorough review at the highest levels”, as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said “Australia expects full accountability for the deaths of aid workers”.

In Sydney, where much of Ms Frankcom’s family live, relatives gathered at the inner-west home of her uncle.

Devastated brother Malcolm Frankcom was sitting at the computer in a small bedroom drafting a statement from the family when The Australian arrived. Other relatives soon started pouring into the home.

In tearful disbelief, Mr Frankcom said he had only just spoken to his sister on Monday, when she told him she was going through a checkpoint and said something like “wish us well, because that’s the most dangerous part”. She contacted him again to say she had arrived safely.

Next thing he knew, Mr Frankcom said, “I received a call from (Australian authorities) telling us the news and telling us we might see her name in the media”. The next call would be from WCK head office confirming the reports.

The family cried together, still in shock. One older female relative was angered at how this could happen, saying Ms Frankcom was just delivering food to those in need.

Sister-in-law Silvana Kalache described Ms Frankcom as “an outstanding woman”.

Frankcom working for charity World Central Kitchen. Picture: X

The Frankcom family statement said: “We are deeply mourning the news that our brave and beloved Zomi has been killed doing the work she loves delivering food to the people of Gaza.”

The family said she would “leave behind a legacy of compassion, bravery and love for all those in her orbit”, and described her as a “kind, selfless and outstanding human being who has travelled the world helping others in their time of need”. “We are still reeling from the shock,” the family said, requesting privacy.

Ms Frankcom’s father, Paul, originally from Sydney, now lives in Shillong in northeastern India. It is understood her mother, Rini, who migrated to Sydney from northeastern India, has passed away.

Sydney-based ex-boyfriend Michal Zdunek met Ms Frankcom when she was on the precipice of a new life “helping others in need”.

The pair met more than five years ago through a mutual friend while Ms Frankcom worked at the CBA in business support management, he said. They split when she moved to Guatemala to study, but he says that trip opened up the world for her.

“When she was there, the volcano erupted and she did what she always wanted to do, helping others in need … She volunteered and the World Central Kitchen gig fell in her lap,” he told The Australian. “Since then she worked her way up and was everywhere she was needed, from Guatemala, to Romania … the Pakistan floods and other gigs through the Covid pandemic. She helped during the Australian bushfires and many more.”

Mr Zdunek reminisced about their time together, saying they stayed in touch and spoke just a couple of months ago.

“We shared the good and bad moments together, but what was always noticeable about Zomi was her urge to stand up and fight for people who have no one standing up or fighting for them … She was always on the right side of the debate, she had a big heart, she always put others before herself, she always wanted to help others in need.”

She would travel the world with WCK, including Pakistan, Morocco, Bangladesh and the US.

The WCK vehicle that was hit by an Israeli strike.

Friends called her a “remarkable soul” and applauded the courage to pursue the work she did.

Bryan Weaver described her as an “extraordinary individual who devoted her life to humanity”.

“Zomi’s selfless dedication to providing aid to starving civilians showcased her true spirit of compassion and activism,” he wrote on social media.

He asked that others carry on her legacy and “strive to create a world where compassion and justice prevail, ensuring that no one is left to suffer in silence”.

“I am devastated for my sister. Her family. Her beloved ones. The world is a little bit darker tonight knowing a warrior for humanity has been silenced,” he said.

Yareli Manning, who’d worked for years with Ms Frankcom, called her “my partner in so many battles”. “It was an honour to work under your leadership. You gave us your best and you were always a great example of what it means to serve those in need,” she wrote on Facebook. “I will carry what I have learned with me always.”

WCK founding board member Robert Egger paid tribute to “caring Zomi Frankcom and her courageous colleagues”, and WCK head José Andrés called the aid workers “angels”. “The Israeli government needs to stop this indiscriminate killing. It needs to stop restricting humanitarian aid, stop killing civilians and aid workers, and stop using food as a weapon,” Mr Andrés wrote on X.