More than 40,000 Syrian refugees, especially those staying in camps here have been able to enjoy free meals prepared by the Benefit Mankind Kitchen since its operation four years ago.
The manager of the Union of Relief and Development Associations (URDA) for Syrian refugees, Omar Janoun said the kitchen, which is manned by about eight people, provides free food for 100 to 200 families at 20 refugee camps.
He said the kitchen does not operate on a daily basis, but it is focused on the distribution of food during Ramadan, winter and certain festivals, such as the Aidiladha.
“Food preparation by the kitchen is monitored by an experienced chef to ensure its quality and cleanliness so that the refugees get nutritious food,” he told Bernama during a tour of the kitchen.
The interview with Omar, who speaks Arabic and English, was translated by the Aman Palestin team.
Among the dishes normally provided by Benefit Mankind kitchen are pastries of various types, including pizza, fruits and traditional food such as Mansa rice.
Omar said Mankind Benefit is not able to provide free food to the Syrian refugees in all the camps here simultaneously as they are more than 500 refugee camps.
Lebanon has the largest number of Syrian refugee camps, apart from the ones in Akkar and Aarsal.
“The distribution of food at each camp will be rotated so that more people can enjoy it,” said Omar, who plans to make the kitchen an investment by offering catering services, like for weddings, to generate income to cover the operating costs and staff salaries.
Meanwhile, the head of the Aman Palestin Korban Mission, Mohd Salmi Mohamed, said besides the Syrian refugees in Lebanon, they also provided iftar sponsorship and bread aid contributed by Malaysians for refugees in Syria, Yemen and Palestine.
“We welcome more parties to come forward and donate so that more refugees can get food and daily necessities,” he added.
Source: BERNAMA News Agency
