UN Report Warns Over 1.2 Million Lebanese Face Acute Hunger Situation

UN-Backed Report Reveals Lebanon’s Food Insecurity Crisis

A joint statement from the United Nations-backed FAO, WFP, and Lebanon’s Ministry of Agriculture has reported that approximately 1.24 million people in Lebanon are expected to face food insecurity at crisis levels or worse between April and August.

According to a report conducted by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), this figure represents a significant deterioration compared to the outlook before the war erupted on March 2. Prior to the conflict, an estimated 874,000 people, roughly 17 percent of the population, were experiencing acute food insecurity.

The report highlights that “conflict, displacement, and economic pressures” have contributed to the worsening situation. The World Food Programme’s country director in Lebanon, Allison Oman Lawi, stated that families who were managing to cope are now being pushed back into crisis due to these factors.

FAO representative Nora Ourabah Haddad emphasized the need for emergency agricultural assistance to support farmers and prevent further deterioration. The report notes that compounded shocks are undermining agricultural livelihoods and impacting food security.

A ceasefire that took effect on April 17 has reduced the intensity of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, but residents in south Lebanon near the border have been warned not to return due to ongoing Israeli military operations. Despite this truce, both sides continue to trade fire.

The statement warns that acute food insecurity is likely to deepen without sustained and timely humanitarian and livelihood support.

Source: Al Jazeera