In the words of Dolly Attallah: “When I cook for people who are struggling, I feel proud.”

Dolly, 48, has lived with a visual impairment since she was thirteen. In early March 2026, as renewed hostilities escalated across Lebanon, she joined 140 women with disabilities mobilised through Access Kitchens established by UN Women and operated by the Lebanese Union for People with Physical Disabilities (LUPD) to support displaced families - one meal, one act of resilience at a time.

Beyond meeting immediate needs, the initiative places women at the centre of the humanitarian response. As the current escalation drives displacement, loss of livelihoods, and heightened protection risks, women and girls, including women with disabilities, continue to hold communities together in crisis.

Women with disabilities at the women-led Access Kitchen in Beirut, under the Leadership, Empowerment, Access and Protection (LEAP) project implemented by UN Women in partnership with the Lebanese Union for People with Physical Disabilities (LUPD), with support from the Government of Australia, are preparing around 350 meals daily for displaced families, demonstrating the power of women’s leadership and inclusion in emergency response.

Across the three Access Kitchens, in Beirut, Zahle and Saida, 140 women with disabilities prepare more than 750 daily hot meals, responding rapidly to growing needs.

     Dolly Attallah, 48, works in the Access Kitchen in Beirut. Photo: UN Women/Lauren Rooney

“Now we are preparing hundreds of meals for people who were forced to leave their homes.

When I cook for people who are struggling, I feel proud. I know that what we are doing here truly matters.

For me, it doesn’t matter who the people are or where they come from. We are all human beings. We must stand together and support each other, especially during difficult times.

Every day in the kitchen we work together to prepare the meals. From my side, I cut vegetables, prepare the ingredients, fill the containers, seal them, and place the stickers on the boxes before they are sent out.

Working here makes me very happy. On the days when I am not in the kitchen, I feel sad, because being here with the team and doing this work means so much to me.

I lost my sight gradually. When I was 13 years old, my vision started getting weaker. At first I could still see a little, but year after year it became worse until I eventually lost almost all of my sight.

At that time life was very difficult. We did not have the technology we have today, no smartphones or internet, and it was very hard to continue studying or find opportunities. But the hardest challenge was not losing my sight. It was how society treated us. People often said hurtful things about girls with disabilities. They would say blind women cannot work, live independently, or build a future.

But I proved them wrong. I first connected with LUPD through training opportunities a long time back. Four years ago, when the Access Kitchen started, I was among the first women to join the team.

 Dolly Attallah cooks alongside the Australian Ambassador to Lebanon at the Access Kitchen in Beirut, in solidarity with displaced families. Photo: UN Women/Lauren Rooney

Cooking was something I already knew how to do. After my mother passed away, I took on the responsibility of helping care for my siblings, cooking for the family and managing the household. Later, when my father passed away, I moved in with my sister because I could no longer afford rent. I didn’t want to stay at home without work or income.

That’s why, when the opportunity to join the kitchen came, I accepted immediately. Working here gave me independence, confidence, and a place where I feel respected.

I am proud that I can stand on my own feet and support others during difficult times. My dream is simple. I want to be able to support myself without having to ask anyone for help. And maybe one day, open a small food project of my own”

Under the LEAP project, UN Women and its partners are delivering lifesaving, gender-responsive humanitarian assistance that enables women with disabilities to support crisis-affected communities while strengthening inclusive humanitarian action.

Building on skills, networks, and confidence strengthened through UN Women’s support, women with disabilities are leading locally driven responses that reflect the priorities and capacities of affected communities, advancing women’s leadership, accountability to affected populations, and localization in humanitarian action.

The initiative provides integrated protection and emergency livelihood support to women and girls facing intersecting vulnerabilities, including female-headed households, women with disabilities, and pregnant and lactating women. Implemented in partnership with women-led organizations, it combines protection services with short-term livelihood opportunities in high-need areas, including South Lebanon, Bekaa, and Beirut. This approach helps reduce protection risks, meet basic needs, and strengthen resilience, while advancing gender-responsive and inclusive humanitarian response.