As Lebanon enters its second month of war, the toll on its people is staggering, with over 1.2 million displaced.
With a government largely absent, volunteers across the country have stepped up to support the displaced, providing essentials – a roof, food, and mattresses – to bring some comfort amid the chaos.
Some initiatives have seen their own volunteers become displaced. Meanwhile, smaller teams are overwhelmed by the sheer volume of assistance requests.
Rising sectarian and class divides have also strained host communities, making them hesitant to open their homes for fear their guests may become targets. This has created additional challenges for some volunteer groups.
However, amid these mounting struggles, the past month of volunteering has highlighted the remarkable solidarity within the Lebanese community.
Two particular initiatives vividly illustrate the realities on the ground.
Beirut Synth Center. Photo: Private.
Volunteers struggle with displacement
Launched in August, Sakf1, translated to “One Roof,” was initiated by a group of activists. They began supporting displaced individuals and families fleeing the south due to the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, as well as rising rental prices.
Today, the initiative has over 100 volunteers, with a core team of about 30 people.
“Many of our volunteers have become displaced themselves since they began volunteering, so it’s been challenging,” says Soha Mneimneh, urban planner and co-coordinator of the initiative.
Soha Mneimneh is an urban planner and the co-coordinator of Sakf1, also known as “One Roof.” Photo: Private.
Sakf1 offers displaced people places to stay, whether in homes where families have opened their doors, in vacant houses, or in larger shelters, either for free or at a reduced rent. So far, the initiative has assisted 80 families in finding refuge in 50 homes.
While reactions to the housing provided for displaced families have been generally positive, Mneimneh notes that the demand for basic supplies like food and mattresses remains high.
Comfort in crisis
Tunefork Studios and Beirut Synth Center are among several initiatives addressing the urgent needs of displaced individuals, initially raising funds for food, clothing, medicine, and baby formula.
However, they quickly shifted focus to address the high demand for mattresses, pillows, and blankets. Many displaced individuals moving into empty homes or rented apartments lack these essentials. The volunteer groups’ priority is to ensure everyone can sleep comfortably.
They receive daily requests from about 40 to 50 people and have already provided around 3,000 mattresses.
Tunefork and Beirut Synth Center’s volunteer team, Fourplusone, at Station Beirut. Photo: Private.
Tunefork and the Beirut Synth Center utilize Station Beirut as a depot, while the local team, now known as Fourplusone, manages operations on the ground. This collaboration began when the war started, mirroring their response after the 2020 port explosion.
The volunteer team, made up of about 15 core members, works tirelessly to meet the needs of those they serve. However, their limited size means that the number of requests far exceeds their capacity to provide assistance.
“It’s a success that we have been able to function for over a month. It’s unbelievable how much a small, passionate team can achieve on the ground. It’s quite surreal,” says Julia Sabra, co-owner, manager and composer at Tunefork Studios.
Beirut Synth Center. Photo: Private.
Fears of Hezbollah targeting affecting hospitality
Finding available apartments for displaced individuals has become increasingly difficult since Sakf1 began.
“What has changed is that many host communities are now hesitant to open their homes to displaced families, fearing that their guests may become targets of Israel,” says Soha Mneimneh from Sakf1.
Discrimination has become a significant issue, with some landlords refusing to rent out their spaces, also at high rates, based on assumptions about their affiliation with Hezbollah, according to Mneimneh.
The team is tackling the challenge by educating people against discrimination based on appearances, stressing that wearing a veil doesn’t indicate Hezbollah affiliation and that support for the group doesn’t imply active involvement.
However, the team acknowledges that they cannot guarantee the background or intentions of the displaced individuals. As a result, the final decision rests with the property owners.
Tunefork has joined forces with Beirut Synth Center, utilizing Station Beirut as a depot. Photo: Beirut Synth Center’s Instagram account.
As finding available apartments has become more challenging, the team has shifted to creating collective shelters. These are not ideal for everyone, particularly individuals with special needs or disabilities, as well as the elderly.
The team is actively seeking suitable solutions for these groups within the collective shelter environment, but what they truly need is proper individual housing, Mneimneh states.
Another major challenge for the Sakf1 team involves non-Lebanese individuals, particularly Syrian refugees, as governmental institutions are not assisting them in finding shelter.
“There’s a lot of discrimination, that’s for sure,” Mneimneh says.
The power of community in absence of governance
Understanding that finding shelter is both incredibly difficult and a top priority, Sakf1 approaches the issue from a solidarity perspective, encouraging people to open their homes and assist displaced families.
“Lebanon has a strong history of solidarity, and we want to remind people of that,” says Soha Mneimneh, co-coordinator of the initiative.
Despite discrimination, Mneimneh highlights the kindness of families who have opened their homes to displaced individuals. These acts demonstrate that many continue to help despite challenges.
Some families host displaced people directly, while others with vacant apartments abroad offer their properties. Additionally, some property owners have lowered rents to make housing more affordable.
Food boxes at Beit Aam in Sioufi, Beirut, serve as a hub where multiple initiatives converge and inspire one another. Tuesday, October 22. Photo by Katrine Dige Houmøller.
Julia Sabra, co-owner of Tunefork Studios, emphasizes that while the studio was deeply embedded in the community even before the conflict, community support has only grown stronger since the onset of the war.
“We function based on community, so we understand the value and importance of community in Lebanon, especially in the absence of a state. So, it was only natural for us to transition from the arts sector to the humanitarian sector,” Sabra says.
Tunefork Studios primarily receives donations from musicians and artists worldwide, both from the diaspora and abroad, leveraging a network that includes those who have recorded in their studios or performed in Beirut.
Sabra notes the overwhelming response to Tunefork Studios’ initiative, with ongoing fundraisers and a global eagerness to help.
Tunefork has collaborated with Beirut Synth Center, providing mattresses, blankets, and pillows for displaced people. Photo: Beirut Synth Center’s Instagram account.
A call for government accountability
Before the war, approximately 20 percent of apartments in Beirut were vacant, a notably high rate that predates both the war and the financial crisis.
Lebanon’s housing crisis has deepened due to the financialization of real estate, which prioritizes profit over affordable housing. Soha Mneimneh, urban planner and co-coordinator of Sakf1, explains that this trend reflects a broader economic issue, with those in power focusing on personal interests.
“I think we’ve had enough disasters and crises and we’re doing the exact same thing over and over and over again. If change really happened at the governmental level, like politically speaking, we wouldn’t have seen all of these events happen in the first place.”
Mneimneh believes the country is trapped in a cycle of repeating mistakes, expressing frustration over the focus on immediate crises rather than long-term solutions. She emphasizes the need to hold the government accountable for its lack of a functional relief plan.
Mneimneh views upgrading dilapidated buildings as a practical solution for affordable housing. This approach addresses immediate shelter needs while creating sustainable environments for low-income groups.
Beit Aam in Sioufi, Beirut, October 22. Photo by Katrine Dige Houmøller.
As an urban planner, Mneimneh envisions public parks, affordable housing, and infrastructure improvements, but urgent relief needs continually divert her focus. While she aims to help as many people as possible through Sakf1 amid the ongoing war, she recognizes the initiative’s limitations as a small, unregistered organization.
“It’s good to have initiatives and for people to feel a sense of solidarity with each other, but at the end of the day, you want a functioning government institution,” she says.
She believes an end to the war is essential for Sakf1 to shift its efforts from relief work to providing decent, affordable housing.
“I’m hoping that the war will stop and that we can learn from this to develop solutions for affordable housing in general,” she says.