Here’s how to help Lebanon, with NGOs and grassroots initiatives providing aid to displaced communities
As attacks across Lebanon intensify, what began as localised evacuations has rapidly expanded into mass displacement. In one of the most concentrated escalations to date, Israeli forces struck more than 100 sites in the span of just 10 minutes, with airstrikes hitting densely populated areas and drawing international alarm, as reported by Reuters.
Displacement has now surged past one million people, with families fleeing southern Lebanon and parts of Beirut’s southern suburbs with little notice. Many are arriving in already stretched shelters or informal spaces without access to consistent food, medical care or basic supplies.
As needs grow in real time, local NGOs and grassroots initiatives are working to provide urgent support. Here’s how to help.
Please note: Information was accurate at the time of publication and may change as the situation evolves.
Nation Station, a community initiative formed in the wake of the 2020 port explosion, is now offering hot meals and food kits for people displaced by the war. At their abandoned petrol station-turned-soup-kitchen and café in Beirut’s Geitaoui neighbourhood, volunteers are preparing about 11,000 meals per day to provide nutritious meals for those in need. @nationstation__
The Lebanese Red Cross needs no introduction, having acted as the country’s first responders for decades, through wars, natural disasters and emergencies. Any donations given will go to aid on-site medical support, blood donations, ambulance needs and more. @lebaneseredcross
An initiative by Souk el Tayeb – Beirut’s social cooperative and farmers’ market in Jisr el Wati – is also making meals for the displaced, especially iftars for those still fasting this Ramadan, despite the chaos. In peacetime, the kitchen usually prepares meals for the elderly, hospitals and communities in need. The initiative is now calling for volunteers and donations. @soukeltayeb
This beloved Hamra bookstore and cultural space, with the help of NGO Ahla Fawda, is churning out meals, food packs, clothing and more for the displaced. Splitting the workload between the two platforms, Barzakh is now crafting 2000 meals a day, whilst Ahla Fawda is preparing food and care packs. Donations are also being used to buy blankets and clothing, as well as set up mini community kitchens for the displaced to be able to cook meals for themselves. @ahlafawda @brzkh.space
Beit el Baraka is an NGO that sees to the needs of the elderly and vulnerable, supports farmers, crafters and marginalised communities. Always ready to help when a crisis strikes, they are currently supporting about 800 displaced people, providing meals, shelter, clothing and other necessities. @beitelbaraka
Egna Legna Besidet is a community-based, migrant-led organisation in Lebanon that works to support and protect the rights of migrant domestic workers. Founded in 2017 by current and former migrant workers, the initiative is led by feminist activists who draw on their own lived experiences to provide practical support and advocacy for vulnerable women working under the country’s kafala sponsorship system. The organisation offers a range of direct assistance, including emergency shelter, food and housing support, legal referrals, and help accessing medical care. It also runs educational workshops on topics such as workers’ rights, sexual and reproductive health, financial management, and workplace safety. They are currently providing emergency assistance such as food, temporary shelter, medical support and basic necessities to those who have been displaced by the ongoing violence. **@egnalegna **
NGO Jeyetna is dedicated to female hygiene, poverty and reproductive health, helping girls and women around the country obtain menstrual products, information and break social taboos around periods and women’s health. Especially amid displacement, basic hygiene needs remain urgent. Jeyetna is helping provide hygiene kits and products to help make things easier. @jeyetna
Animals Lebanon, a charity promoting and protecting animal welfare across Lebanon, has teams on the ground searching for and rescuing pets from areas that have come under attack, including Ansar, Tyre and multiple parts of Beirut, often at great personal risk. These rescued animals are housed at the organisation’s shelter, where they also receive veterinary care if needed. @animalslebanon
One of Lebanon’s long-standing NGOs, born during the civil war in 1985, the organisation has spent decades helping people survive conflicts and put their lives back together afterwards. They’re now calling for volunteers to join them and for donations to help provide food, shelter and necessities to the displaced. @offre.joie
Basmeh & Zeitooneh is one of the largest refugee-led relief organisations in the world, originally created to support Syrian refugees in Lebanon back in 2012, and now runs six community centres in Lebanon. In response to the current crisis, emergency response teams are now active in Beirut and sites across Southern Lebanon, conducting rapid needs assessments, distributing food parcels, and providing essential non-food items like mattresses, blankets, and hygiene kits. @basmehzeitooneh
A long-time helper in tackling food insecurity, the Lebanese Food Bank is now helping provide hot meals to 325 shelters. @lebfoodbank
The Banin Charity Organization has announced that the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium will now serve as a shelter for those in need. In order to ready the stadium to care for the families, the charity is asking for financial donations for food, bedding, medications, first aid, and children's essentials, or the items themselves. @banin.lb
- Tracing the War in Lebanon Through Beit Beirut’s Architecture
- Lebanon’s Abandoned Architecture: 7 Landmarks That Tell the Country’s Unfinished Story
- Inside the Damascus Workshop Reclaiming Syria’s Lost Print Traditions
- Aroma Archive Beirut Offers a Unique Exploration of Lebanon Through Bespoke Perfumery
- Berlin Tempelhof Airport: How a Nazi Relic Served as a WW2 Bunker and Syrian Refugee Shelter
