Authentic Lebanese Food to Support the Lebanese Red Cross
100% of Proceeds Channeled to The Lebanese Red Cross
9/9 Update
After our release one month ago, we have closed our 6 day a week operation. We are no longer accepting orders, but donations are still open. We will be open for two days each month, starting with October. Get added to our email list for updates!
Our Mission
On August 4th, 2020, two explosions devastated Beirut, Lebanon. 157 people lost their lives, 5,000 people sustained injuries, and over 300,000 people have been left without a home. While suffering from the disastrous effects of the explosions, overlapping economic, political, and social crises are ravaging Lebanon. Kibbeh Kitchen sells authentic Lebanese dishes and delivers them straight to your home with the goal of raising funds for the Lebanese Red Cross, which is facilitating on the ground support, while fostering further appreciation for Lebanese culture.
Political Crisis
Lebanon's political landscape has been characterized by a corrupt ruling elite that hoards state resources and engages in shady deals to build up their financial empires. As a result, it is unable to provide necessities to the Lebanese people, such as 24-hour electricity, garbage collection, and continuous water supply. After anti-corruption protests erupted in October 2019, which were triggered by new taxes imposed on WhatsApp to pay for the government deficit, Prime Minister Hariri resigned, and a new government led by Prime Minister Diab stepped in that has continued the legacy of corruption amongst Lebanese politicians.
Economic Crisis
Linked with the political crisis is the economic one, which is in large part because of the incompetent government and its mismanagement and stems from the government's 154% debt to GDP ratio, the third-highest in the world. To keep investors financing their debt, the government sponsored a Ponzi scheme involving commercial offering high interest rates for dollar deposits, then lending the cash to the central bank, which used it to pay back its investors, but when fewer investors put money in the central bank, Lebanese depositors were essentially robbed of their earnings as their withdrawals were limited or halted altogether, with banks experiencing up to $100 billion disappearing. Because the Lebanese pound had been pegged to the dollar, the shortage of dollars caused a severe 70% drop in the value of the Lebanese pound.
Social Crisis
A country largely dependent on imports, with 80% of food coming in from elsewhere, Lebanon has struggled to keep up its supply chains as the dollar grows increasingly scarce. Hospitals in need of medical supplies to combat the COVID-19 pandemic have reported shortages of critical equipment. With an inflation rate nearing 90%, food prices increasing by almost 200%, and almost half of the population living under the poverty line, eating a substantial meal is no longer a daily occurrence for much of the Lebanese population.