The “Belly of Beirut”

This article presents the results of an ethnographic study of Beirut’s main wholesale fruit and vegetable market, conducted in the spring of 2019. Located on the outskirts of the Palestinian Shatila camp and the adjacent Sabra neighborhood, and with a heavy Syrian presence, this market is a commercial hub, a metropolitan supply center, and a destination for those seeking various informal employment opportunities. The market is also a vital resource space for the precarious population living nearby, who visit it to gather leftover produce. Lastly, it supplies many small shops, many of which are run by Syrians.