With the war raging now in Lebanon alongside an economic collapse and a displacement crisis, communal cooking emerges as a powerful tool for healing, solidarity, and support. In this interview, Meheiddine Al Jawhary, a talented chef specializing in Middle Eastern cuisine, shares his journey of using food to provide relief and kindness to those affected by war.

Al Jawhary has been supporting  Nation Station, a grassroots organization born from the devastation of the August 4th explosion. Over the past three weeks, Al Jawahry has dedicated his skills to supporting displaced communities in need. “Once I heard about the huge number of people affected, I immediately went to our headquarters to start cooking” he recalls. Today, over 300 volunteers are working tirelessly across seven kitchens to prepare warm meals for those in need.

‘The response from the community has been nothing short of overwhelming.’ Al Jawhary says. Nation Station’s volunteers come together to cook, package, and deliver meals, as well as handle cleaning and hygiene duties. “It is a collective effort that showcases the resilience and strength of our community” he explains.

Several restaurants along the Geitawi-Mar Mikhael line have also opened their kitchens to support Nation Station’s initiative. “These restaurants are operating at a loss, with their own kitchen staff helping us prepare meals every day for displaced individuals,” Al Jawhary notes. The scale of this operation is impressive, with approximately 3,400 warm meals emerging from the Nation Station central kitchen daily. When combined with contributions from the coalition restaurants, that number expands to an astounding 8,000 to 9,000 meals per day.

A crisis comparable to another

When comparing the current relief efforts to those following the August 4th explosion, Al Jawhary observes, “The scale is much larger. After the explosion, things returned to normal much quicker. The blast was centralized and timebound, but this crisis is on a national level and continues to unfold.”

Despite the incredible efforts, Al Jawhary acknowledges the challenges they face. “We are doing band-aid work,” he admits. “We are not equipped to respond to a crisis of this magnitude. Without support from international organizations and governments, we do not know how long we can keep this up.” As funding dwindles and volunteers begin to taper off, the future looks uncertain. “Some days, there are individuals who do not even receive one meal. The demand is so high that we are on the brink of burnout” he shares.

From newborns to the elderly, individuals of all backgrounds rely on these meals. “We try to find solutions, but it often feels like we are just drops in the ocean,” Al Jawhary reflects. He emphasizes the urgent need for government intervention and international support.

Reflections

As we survive crisis after crisis, I begin to wonder, have we not learned from our mistakes? Must civil societies always bridge the gap that governments are supposed to cover? The road to recovery is a long one, and the crises are becoming too many to recover from. What are the developmental standards we are leaving our future generations? Inequalities are only likely to grow even more following this war. Despite the unity of folks locally and their collective action for relief, will this war be leaving the country more divided than ever?

How to support Nation Station:

Using Western Union, OMT, and WHISH for wire transfers, or cash donations at our community space for those who can make it.

Tala Nassif

Tala Nassif holds a BA in Economics from the American University of Beirut and an MSc in Development Studies – Labour, Activism, and Global Commodity Chains – from SOAS University of London. Specialized in international development and economic empowerment, Tala currently serves as a Senior Research Assistant at the Asfari Institute for Civil Society and Citizenship at AUB.