Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is supporting the implementation of a kitchen project that is providing free meals for people here, launched by local NGO, Ahla Fawda, and restaurant, Barzakh.
“We started from scratch,” explains Khodor Al Akhdar, Barzakh’s operational manager. “Since the beginning of the war and the influx of displaced people [to this area], we have worked closely with Ahla Fawda to provide food. This project aims not only to provide meals but to also supply ingredients, while training the people living here in Al Azarieh to prepare and cook the meals themselves, with a focus on food safety and hygiene.”
To get the kitchen project running, the MSF logistics team transformed a previously vacant space in Al Azarieh into a fully operational kitchen, while Ahla Fawda and Barzakh equipped the facility to meet hygiene and safety standards, training local residents to prepare the meals themselves using the free ingredients provided. The kitchen now serves around 2,500 meals daily.
“Since the beginning of the war, community-led initiatives have been impressive in Lebanon,” says Elena Fernandez Tajadura, MSF’s emergency logistics coordinator. “Encouraging these efforts fosters connections and a collaborative atmosphere that is much needed and ensures sustainable responses [to the war].”
Lebanon has faced a series of crises in recent years, including the devastating Beirut port blast in August 2020 and an economic collapse that ranks among the worst in the world. Israel’s recent escalation of attacks in the country, has displaced over a million people since October 2023, leaving many in precarious living conditions. Adding to the prolonged multi-crisis, it has pushed the entire population to the brink.
