Lebanon
- 2.5 million
- people need food assistance
- 47.5 percent
- of people are food insecure (Lebanese and refugees)
- 5.3 million
- population
Lebanon, a small and densely populated country in a region beset by conflict and political instability, continues to experience a profound socioeconomic emergency on top of the protracted Syrian refugee crisis.
The country is facing one of the worst economic crises in modern history, with the national currency losing over 90 percent of its value since 2019.
Lebanon faces record-high currency depreciation, with food inflation soaring to 5,000 percent compared to pre-COVID levels. According to the latest World Bank report issued in May 2024, poverty has more than tripled over the past decade, reaching 44 percent of the population.
The human impact is dire: food insecurity is rapidly deepening across Lebanon, with 23 percent of the population – 1.26 million people – facing acute hunger. Half of Lebanese families and almost all refugees are struggling to put food on the table.
Declining humanitarian aid and renewed conflict in the south have contributed to pushing countless families to the edge.
The World Food Programme (WFP) helps ensure people can secure their food and basic needs, while supporting the Government’s social safety nets and the country’s food systems.
What the World Food Programme is doing in Lebanon
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Economic crisis response
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WFP is providing food parcels while carrying out assessments to ensure that assistance reaches those most in need.
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Support to refugees
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WFP provides food vouchers and cash assistance, through electronic cards, to Syrian refugees in Lebanon. Refugees can buy food in more than 400 WFP-contracted shops across the country.
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School meals
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WFP’s school-meals programme provides nutritious snacks for 82,200 students at 190 schools. During the 2023–2024 academic year, 10,800 students received cold meals prepared by 101 women volunteering at nine school kitchens. School meals improve children’s food consumption and dietary diversity while increasing their ability to concentrate.
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Social protection
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WFP continues to provide technical assistance for Lebanon’s social protection system and supports the implementation of the Emergency Social Safety Net. WFP supports the food-assistance component of the National Poverty Targeting Program - Lebanon’s first targeted social safety net programme - through e-cards which can be used in WFP-contracted shops to buy food.
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Building resilience and supporting livelihoods
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WFP is focusing on strengthening food systems, environmental restoration, and disaster-risk reduction to improve livelihoods and income generation opportunities. This includes reforestation, improved irrigation systems and the promotion of climate-smart agriculture among smallholder farmers through approaches such as training.
Lebanon news releases
Go to pagePartners and donors
Achieving Zero Hunger is the work of many. Our work in Lebanon is made possible by the support and collaboration of our partners and donors, including:
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Find out more about the state of food security in Lebanon
Visit the food security analysis pageOperations in Lebanon
Contacts
Office
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Beirut
Lebanon
Phone
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Fax
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