More than a million people in Lebanon face acute food insecurity, according to United Nations agencies and the Agriculture Ministry. Their new assessment warns that the number could reach 1.15 million by mid-2027. Conflict damage, scarce jobs and depleted savings are squeezing households, while the government seeks both emergency food support and the restoration of livelihoods.
More than a million people in Lebanon face acute food insecurity, according to a joint statement by United Nations agencies and the country’s Agriculture Ministry on Wednesday. The assessment involved the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Programme. It linked deteriorating access to food to two successive conflicts in less than two years and severe economic conditions.[1], [2]
Jobs remain scarce, savings have been depleted and household debt is high, the agencies said. Food and fuel costs continue to strain budgets. World Food Programme country representative Allison Oman Lawi said some families could still buy food by drawing on savings, borrowing or reducing other spending. Others were exhausting those options, leaving them vulnerable to even a small additional shock.[1]
The assessment projects that the affected population could reach 1.15 million by mid-2027. Agriculture Minister Nizar Hani called for urgent food needs to be met alongside protection of livelihoods and restoration of productive capacity. Lebanon is also struggling to recover from the economic crisis that began in 2019. It has not completed reforms required by the International Monetary Fund to release assistance. Restoring families’ livelihoods also forms part of the statement’s call to support agricultural production.[1]
