Displaced people in the streets of Beirut, after fleeing Israeli bombings in South Lebanon, the Bekaa, and Beirut's southern suburbs during the war in Lebanon, on March 14, 2026. (Credit: Mohammad Yassine/L'Orient-Le Jour)
In response to the scale of Lebanon's humanitarian crisis, where more than one million people have been displaced since the start of the war between Hezbollah and Israel on March 2, the Ministry of Tourism launched the “Sofra” initiative on Saturday. This innovative platform connects restaurants, NGOs and donors from around the world to provide hot meals to displaced families, while also supporting Lebanon's struggling restaurant sector.
Through Sofra, donors can fund meals, from anywhere in the world, prepared by partner Lebanese restaurants that cook at cost using their own staff and kitchens. The meals are then distributed by local NGOs to displaced families and shelters.
“Everything is centralized on the Sofra platform, where all the information is transparent: participating restaurants, funds collected and the NGOs responsible for distribution,” a source at the Ministry of Tourism told L’Orient-Le Jour. “The figures are updated hour by hour,” the source added. Since its launch, 2,444 meals have already been delivered to 49 shelters, thanks to the mobilization of 18 partner NGOs and 14 restaurants, for a total of $93,384 in donations collected.
Donations can start from $3, and the project operates on a logice of solidarity solidarity and cooperation: “If one party isn’t able to handle the delivery, another steps in,” the source explained.
Beyond its immediate humanitarian impact, Sofra also aims to support the restaurant sector, which has been severely affected by the deteriorating security situation. “The goal is for restaurants to be able to keep operating despite the crisis and avoid layoffs,” the source added.
Désarmement du Hezbollah : négocier avec l’Iran est-il réaliste ?