Vogue.com | How This New York Chef Is Rallying Restaurants to Help Beirut

Adding to Lebanon’s ongoing economic crisis, the country now finds itself in the midst of a catastrophic humanitarian emergency. Though the exact toll of devastation from the explosions in Beirut on August 4 is still climbing, recent reports have counted at least 220 people dead, 7,000 injured, and approximately 300,000 displaced from their homes. With astonishing alacrity, groups from various communities and industries worldwide have established countless relief funds and aid-providing initiatives. In New York, one such effort is being organized by the midtown-based restaurant Ilili: an Emergency Disaster Fund for those affected by the blasts.

For chef-owner Philippe Massoud, who partnered with SEAL(a non-profit, non-political organization providing social and economic aid to underserved Lebanese communities) in order to establish a viable fund as quickly as possible, the disaster hits especially close to home. “It’s a big blow. This is unprecedented to have so much widespread damage in the arts, in hospitality, in the medical field,” said the Lebanese-born chef. And yet, Massoud’s own remarkable life story, one punctuated with moments of tragedy and near-death experiences throughout his childhood in Beirut, makes him an exemplar of resilience and strength in the ongoing relief effort.

Read the full story on Vogue.com