Beirut: Update from the ground
Nearly three weeks ago, on Tuesday, August 4, an explosion at the port in Beirut, Lebanon, devastated the city. The blast was the largest non-nuclear explosion in modern history. More than 200 people lost their lives, thousands were injured, and hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced from their homes. WCK’s Relief Team mobilized urgently, arriving on the ground less than 48 hours after the blast to find thousands of people with brooms and dustpans in the streets, coming together to clean up their city.
After a week on site, we had ten kitchens cooking—including local restaurants and a larger kitchen under the direction of WCK’s Chef Relief Team. We were preparing more than 10,000 fresh, nourishing meals that were delivered to 50 different locations. These sites include the Lebanese Red Cross, hospitals like Saint Georges, and community organizations including Bassma and Bayti Bayta. Meals have been provided for first responders, volunteers helping to clean, and to families affected by the explosion. To date, WCK has served more than 115,000 fresh meals to people in need.
St. George’s Hospital was severely damaged by the explosion and many nurses were injured. Despite this, a lot of them are already back to work, planning and rebuilding their hospital to make it operational once again. José visited the hospital and brought 200 nourishing meals for these heroes.
Working hand in hand with the restaurant staff and volunteers preparing meals, the team is cooking Lebanese comfort foods, ranging from makanek (spiced lamb or beef sausages) sandwiches with hummus and banadoura to vegan dishes like kebbit batata (potatoes with bulgur, marjoram, and other spices).
Our work in Beirut would not be possible without so many in the local community who have jumped in to help their neighbors. Reem and Tiffany, pictured above, connected with WCK right away, and the two of them have been critical in getting the effort up and running. From mapping out logistics, to identifying neighborhoods in need, to making deliveries all around the city, Reem and Tiffany are both invaluable to WCK’s response in Lebanon.
Chef Aline has joined WCK relief efforts to get fresh meals to the families most in need. She has two restaurants in Beirut—Mayrig and Batchig. Mayrig is located right next to the port and is where Aline was the moment the explosion happened. It knocked her down, resulting in loss of hearing in her right ear and several broken ribs.
Quickly after Aline came to following the explosion, she was giving CPR to an employee. She strapped him to a broken door and carried him down the stairs—24 of Aline’s staff ended up in the hospital.
“I brought five guys down three floors, I don’t know how I did that. Then I realized I was injured.”
Mayrig was destroyed, so she moved her employees to her second restaurant location, Batchig, where many are now sleeping. Aline’s chefs are Armenian women and mothers and she continues to focus on their well being. Mayrig is Armenian for “mother”, and Batchig is Armenian for “kiss,” so together the restaurants symbolize a kiss from a mother. WCK has now set up a tent outside Mayrig to continue giving out meals to volunteers cleaning up the area directly around the port.
WCK will continue cooking thousands of meals for communities impacted by the blast. For real time updates, follow WCK on Instagram and Twitter.
