Toronto – New data from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) reveals that 1.24 million people in Lebanon, nearly one quarter of the population, are facing acute food insecurity. Families are being forced to skip meals, reduce the quantity or quality of food they eat, sell possessions, or pull children out of school to feed themselves.
Despite announcements of a cessation of hostilities, the truce has not led to an improvement in food security, as the root causes of hunger remain intact.
“The ceasefire does not automatically bring back food, nor the destroyed markets, nor the lost livelihoods,” explains Sonia Ben Salem, advocacy coordinator for Action Against Hunger in Lebanon. “We are facing a multi-layered crisis: years of socio-economic collapse, political instability, and a refugee crisis, compounded by the recent escalation of hostilities. The truce does not erase years of struggle.”
New waves of displacement are exacerbating the crisis
While hostilities continue in border areas, the situation has become increasingly tense over the last 48 hours. Despite the ceasefire, new attacks in the districts of Nabatieh and the Bekaa Valley have led to further evacuation orders, forcing families to flee north again.
For those displaced, hunger is not just a lack of food; it is a matter of vital priorities. “When a family is displaced several times, safety becomes the priority. They spend what little they have on transport to reach a safe place, putting food on the back burner,” says Ben Salem.
The impact is most severe for vulnerable groups. In some affected areas, between 12% and 15% of children aged 6 to 23 months are fed exclusively on milk, a practice that jeopardizes healthy growth and development. At the same time, pregnant and breastfeeding women face heightened risks of malnutrition due to limited access to healthcare and inadequate diets—endangering both their health and that of their children.
Putting the figures into perspective: what hunger looks like in Lebanon today
- Fewer meals: Families are cutting back on the number of meals they eat each day and eliminating essential foods, such as protein, as prices rise again.
- The cost of bread: In just one month, the price of bread increased from 77,000 to 90,000 LBP per loaf. While this may amount to less than one euro, it is out of reach for many households amid soaring inflation and collapsing incomes—making access to a basic staple increasingly difficult.
- Ghost markets: In governorates like Nabatieh, an estimated 80% of shops remain closed, leaving even families with some cash unable to purchase food.
- Agricultural collapse: In Khiam, 90% of farmers have lost their entire year’s production and income, signaling long‑term consequences for food availability and livelihoods.
Action Against Hunger adapts and expands its response
In response to the evolving crisis, Action Against Hunger has adapted its operations on the ground. While support continues in collective shelters, our teams are now extending assistance to hard‑to‑reach areas and severely damaged homes—places that were inaccessible just weeks ago.
“We are reaching places like Hasbaya to carry out distributions outside the shelters, delivering dry food and ready-to-eat rations in areas where markets have collapsed,” says Ben Salem. Furthermore, the organisation has resumed comprehensive nutritional support and infant feeding packages, now expanding its operations to other areas in the south, beyond the displacement zones.
Without guaranteed humanitarian access to all areas, including those affected by active conflict or suffering the most severe damage, and without a recovery of available resources, the number of people suffering from hunger in Lebanon will remain an open wound that no partial truce can heal on its own.
