Roughly one in four people in Lebanon, more than one million in total, now lack enough food, the United Nations said. It blamed two back-to-back conflicts within less than two years, along with a severe economic downturn.
In a joint statement published on Wednesday, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Food Programme and Lebanon’s Ministry of Agriculture said the number could climb to 1.15 million by the middle of next year.
Families exhaust savings as living costs rise
The agencies said job opportunities are scarce, household savings have run out and debt remains high. Rising prices for food, fuel and other basics are also squeezing family budgets.
Allison Oman Lawi, WFP representative and country director in Lebanon, said some families can still borrow or cut spending, but for others those options are closing. “When families have nothing left to fall back on, even a small additional shock can push them deeper into crisis,” she said.
Lebanon’s Agriculture Minister, Nizar Hani, called for “a coordinated national response” that meets urgent food needs while protecting livelihoods and rebuilding productive capacity.
War costs and stalled terms of the US-brokered deal
Lebanese authorities estimate that the two wars between Israel and the armed group Hezbollah since October 2023 have cost about $27bn. The latest war, which began in March, displaced more than one million people, a figure that has fallen to about 300,000 since violence eased in June.
A framework deal brokered by the United States and signed in June between Israel and Lebanon’s government was meant to end the fighting. However, Israel still occupies land in Lebanon. Under the agreement, Israeli forces were to withdraw and the Lebanese army was to move into the areas they vacated. Hezbollah, which is not a party to the deal, was also meant to be disarmed by Lebanon.
The fighting erupted while Lebanon was still recovering from its worst-ever economic crisis, which began in 2019. Beirut is seeking a bailout from the International Monetary Fund but has not carried out the reforms the institution demands to release the aid.
