Nation Station Beirut for the displaced

Nation Station is a Lebanese grassroots, community-based organization that has been operating on the ground since August 2020, and who came to exist as a direct response to the aftermath of the Beirut port explosion.

Over the past four years, Nation Station has evolved into a vital neighborhood support system for the residents of Geitawi; one of the most densely populated neighborhoods in beirut and which has directly been affected by the destruction.

We have provided up to 1,000 meals per week, established a medical center, offered psychosocial support when needed, organized workshops and cultural events to support artists and musicians, created educational programs for children, and facilitated economic development through a bi-weekly farmers' market that bridges the gap between producers and consumers.

These long-term, sustainable projects emerged in response to Lebanon’s economic collapse and the lack of governmental support. As a result, the responsibility to address these challenges has fallen to organized community groups like ours. Despite our growth, Nation Station has remained true to its roots as an “emergency response” initiative, continuing to focus on the immediate needs of our community.

On September 23rd, with the invaluable help of many volunteers, we mobilized our networks to provide aid and support to displaced families and vulnerable communities across Lebanon.

Due to the ongoing Israeli attacks, over a million people have been forced to leave their homes in search of safer areas. Hundreds of thousands are still living in critical conditions, urgently in need of basic necessities.

Now approaching the end of the first month, our initiative has distributed over 3,000 meals daily, alongside mattresses, blankets, dry goods, hygiene products, and other vital supplies. We have collaborated with several NGOs and grassroots initiatives on the ground, including Mada, Beirut Synthesizer Center, The Bake Atelier, The Great Oven, MWA, Jeyetna, and many others.

We are also working with spaces that offer the necessary infrastructure to support our “DoNation Station”—a collection and dispatch point for essential needs and a community hub for different mobilizing actors.

Our immediate goals are:

1. Meeting Basic Needs:

Ensuring that displaced families and vulnerable communities, often overlooked, are provided with essential supplies as we prepare for winter.

2. Collaborating with Other Grassroots Organizations:

Working with groups offering long-term shelters and kitchens, distributing food and hygiene kits to help people maintain independence. This includes marginalized groups and migrant worker communities that we are committed to supporting.

3. Monetary Support for Volunteers:

Providing financial compensation to the dedicated volunteers who have sacrificed or lost their jobs to gradually become permanent social workers in the framework of our operation.

Without the sustainability of their presence and efforts, we wouldn’t be able to meet the demands.

Thank you for standing in solidarity with our people,

Every contribution makes a difference.

That said, we must emphasize that true solidarity goes beyond donations, no matter how generous;

Everyone should feel personally engaged in stopping this genocidal machine as many governments are complicit in the widespread destruction of our region and communities.

They won't stop unless we demand it.

Strike, stay mobilized, boycott, and organize together!