Stepping beyond the market 

Founded in 2021 in the aftermath of the Beirut port explosion, Souk El Balad was created to support small Lebanese producers and businesses by giving them a platform to sell handmade and local products. From fruits and vegetables to mouneh, soaps, accessories and crafts, the Souk has long been rooted in one idea: strengthening livelihoods through community. 

When war and displacement escalated again, that same sense of community pushed Souk El Balad beyond its original role. What had begun as a market for local producers quickly expanded into a solidarity drive responding to urgent needs on the ground. 

For Hajar Bitar, Financial and Operations Coordinator at ARDNA, the shift was immediate and necessary. “We are not a relief organization by nature,” she said. “But when the war erupted, we felt we had to step in immediately. The need was too urgent, and we could not just watch from the sidelines.” 

Their response grew quickly. Souk El Balad mobilized food, water, hygiene items, mattresses, blankets, and daily hot meals for displaced families, while also preparing large aid shipments for villages along the southern border. They equipped kitchens, supported shelters, and coordinated distributions across multiple locations. Over the course of the response, they delivered more than 67,432 hot meals, distributed 6,752 mouneh boxes, 5,823 hygiene kits, and 3,382 mattresses with pillows, while reaching more than 250,000 individuals.  

What stands out, however, is not only the scale of the response. It is the fact that Souk El Balad did all of this without walking away from the work it was originally built to do. 

Supporting producers while responding to war 

Even while the solidarity drive was expanding, Souk El Balad kept its regular market running. That decision was deliberate. Many of the producers who rely on the Souk depend on it not only as a place to sell, but as a source of continuity and income in an already unstable environment. 

For Ramadan Omairat, Operations Manager at Souk El Balad, continuing those operations was part of the same responsibility that shaped the relief effort. “We kept on going despite the hardships because we felt like we have a responsibility towards these people,” he said. “For many of our producers, Souk El Balad is not just a market. It is their livelihood, their routine, and their way to keep going.” 

That responsibility shaped the way the team responded to producers directly affected by the war. One producer’s ostrich farm in the South was destroyed. Another lost her home in Dahieh. Souk El Balad supported her return to work by providing the raw materials and machines she needed to resume producing soaps and essential oils and sell them again through the Souk. 

The team also continued surveying producers to better understand what they needed, whether in raw materials, equipment, or support to sustain their businesses. Their response included practical support, training, and a long-term commitment to helping producers keep going through crisis. 

Bitar summed up this approach in one phrase: “Don’t give a fish, give the hook.” It was a principle that ran through much of what the team described: responding not only with immediate aid, but in ways that help people rebuild some stability and independence. 

Relief rooted in dignity, coordination, and trust 

That same approach shaped the more personal side of Souk El Balad’s response. Bitar recalled how the team tried to support people not only through what they lacked, but through what they could still create and contribute. “We had displaced teenagers with special needs who loved drawing and painting, so we got them the materials they needed to create artwork that could later be showcased and sold through the Souk,” she said. “There was also another teenager who liked working with beads, and we made sure she had the materials she needed so her work could be displayed as well.” 

This attention to dignity and potential was matched by strong coordination on the ground. A particularly positive part of Souk El Balad’s response was its direct coordination with the Higher Relief Commission and municipalities across more than 20 villages and areas. This helped the team identify needs more accurately before sending support, whether to people living in public shelters, rented apartments, or tents. 

“Our coordination with the Higher Relief Commission and with municipalities really helped,” Omairat said. “It meant we were assessing the needs correctly and sending aid accordingly.” 

That collaborative spirit took very practical forms. Souk El Balad partnered with Jnaynet Enab, which made its kitchen and staff available to help scale the daily preparation of meals. It also worked with Development for People and Nature Association (DPNA) and local actors to send aid to Saida, Tyre, and southern border villages, while coordination with the Lebanese Red Cross helped support deliveries to high-risk areas whenever security conditions allowed. Beyond food and logistics, Souk El Balad also collaborated with The Cloud Clinic to provide “Happy Boxes” for displaced children, and with initiatives such as Poptastic and Wakilni To mobilize donations and widen community support around the solidarity drive.  

Souk El Balad’s story is about what happens when an initiative built around local producers, trust, and community decides that its responsibility does not stop at the market. In a time of war, it expanded that responsibility outward, while still holding on to the people and livelihoods that were always at the center of its work. 

How to contribute 

Souk El Balad’s Solidarity Drive is supported through individual and in-kind donations. Contributions can be made via WHISH: 81 839 376. In-kind donations can be dropped off at UNESCO 4204 Building, Ground Floor (right before Toters Fresh), Monday to Friday, 9 AM–3 PM. Souk El Balad can also be reached on Instagram at @soukelbalad. 

Yasmine El Berjawi

Specialized in citizenship education, youth engagement, and governance in the Arab region. She holds a double BA in Political Studies and Public Administration from the American University of Beirut (’24), with minors in International Law, Civil Society, and Human Rights. She received the FAS Mamdouha S. Bobst Award and the Dr. Randa Antoun Annual Award for civic engagement and public service.