Volunteers have been tirelessly working to assist tens of thousands who have been displaced by Israel’s intensified bombardment of Lebanon this week. In a bustling soup kitchen, dozens of volunteers wearing aprons and hairnets are seen stirring large pots of tomato bulgur and packing hundreds of meals into containers.
“When people began fleeing from the south, I felt compelled to help,” said 33-year-old chef Mehyeddine el Jawhary from Sidon. “The first thing that came to mind was to prepare meals,” he added, noting that his parents chose to stay in the southern city despite the proximity of Israeli airstrikes.
This week, Israel escalated its attacks, particularly targeting southern and eastern Lebanon, resulting in over 700 deaths, as reported by the Health Ministry.
Schools converted into makeshift shelters are now overflowing, while those who can afford it are renting apartments or staying with relatives.
The International Organization for Migration estimates that approximately 118,000 people have been displaced by Israeli strikes within the past week alone.
“Now is not the time to say, ‘It’s not my problem,'” said Jawhary. “The government is unable to help, so we must step in and support each other.” His team managed to deliver 1,800 meals in just one day, part of a community-driven network of kitchens that have been feeding the needy since the country’s economic collapse in 2019.
Social media is awash with people offering free housing or organizing donation drives for essential supplies. Engineer Ziad Abichaker has raised funds to provide 600 mattresses and blankets, with hopes of reaching 1,000. He views helping as a “moral duty.”
In Beirut’s Badaro district, a group of mothers has been gathering clothing, blankets, and baby formula at Teatrino, a preschool transformed into a donation center. Pediatric dentist Mayssa Blaibel, 36, paused her work at the clinic to volunteer full-time, noting the high demand for aid. “It’s not easy because we’re just regular people trying to help, but it seems this crisis will endure,” she said.
In the Shouf mountains, 61-year-old teacher Hala Zeidan has been hosting a displaced family of three at her home since Monday. “This is our country, and these are people who’ve been forced from their homes,” Zeidan remarked. “We could all face displacement… we must show compassion and support one another.”
