'It's my duty,' says Lebanese chef feeding people who fled Israeli strikes

Nation Station community kitchen in Beirut is serving meals to 700 displaced people each day – but organisers say more help needed

Volunteers at Beirut community kitchen Nation Station prepare meals for people who have fled Israeli strikes in southern and eastern Lebanon. Reuters

Live updates: Follow the latest from Israel-Gaza

Mehyo El Jawhary is a chef. All day he has been frantically chopping vegetables, and co-ordinating with his dozen sous chefs to make hundreds of dishes. But Mr El Jawhary is not cooking for typical restaurant visitors.

For the past few days, he has been preparing food for Nation Station, a community kitchen in the Geitawi neighbourhood of Beirut, which is serving thousands of meals a day to those displaced by Israel’s relentless bombardment of the country – mainly in the south and east.

“I feel it's my duty,” said the young chef, who took time off work to volunteer at Nation Station. “I will take as many days off work as I can.

“I’m doing my part. I can't stay home and do nothing,” Mr El Jawhary, whose family comes from southern Lebanon, told The National.

On Monday Israel started an intensive air campaign on Lebanon, killing at least 700 people, injuring thousand, and sparking a steep humanitarian crisis. UN group the International Organisation for Migration said that least 90,530 newly displaced people have been reported in Lebanon, including nearly 40,000 in 283 shelters. Nation Station is proving assistance to some of them.

the Lebanese people never fail ... I'm proud of that

Mehyo El Jawhary,
volunteer chef

The cash-strapped economy, reeling from a severe crisis after decades of corruption and mismanagement of public funds, has been struggling to meet these growing needs. To fill the gap left by the government's slow emergency response, grass roots movements and associations have mobilised at large.

“I never put my faith in the government,” said Mr El Jawhary. “But the Lebanese people never fail – I'm proud of that.” He added that they had to turn away volunteers because too many showed up in the morning.

Nation Station is an empty Beirut gas station turned into a community kitchen and a communal space after the city’s deadly 2020 port explosion in Beirut.

“We’ve been serving 900 meals per day to people in need for the past four years: they bring their boxes and we serve them food,” said Josephine Abu Abdo, one of the founders of Nation Station.

Ms Abu Abdo said that after the deadly Israeli campaign this week, Nation Station increased its quantities and started providing breakfast, lunch, dinner and beverages for 700 displaced people in schools.

“We're also gathering supplies, in-kind donations, anything that would help at the centres, and cash donations,” she said. Nation Station has also been co-ordinating with restaurants which provide free food for the displaced in show of solidarity.

Dozens of volunteers have been working tirelessly from morning to evening to offer help. “It's still not enough, given what we’re seeing on the ground,” said Ms Abu Abdo.

“The state hasn't been here for four years, but the bigger problem now is Israel, unleashed and aggressive. It’s our duty to help people in need.”

Israeli attacks on Lebanon have continued despite talks of a US proposal for a ceasefire in Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday that his country will “continue degrading Hezbollah” until it achieves its goals along the Lebanon border, dampening hopes of a 21-day truce proposed by France and the US this week.

On Friday, the UN's children's agency stated that the recent escalation has “instilled unimaginable fear in the daily lives of people across the country,” as it has “killed and injured thousands, spurred mass displacement, and caused extensive damage to infrastructure”.