Around 2 million people facing food insecurity in Lebanon, says UN
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Sulaiman
- . January 20, 2023
- . Update: January 20, 2023 3:20 pm
Around 2 million people, including 1.29 million Lebanese residents and 700,000 Syrian refugees, are facing food insecurity in Lebanon, according to the United Nations (UN).
According to UN agencies, multiple crises have affected Lebanon and its citizens. The situation is expected to get worse in the coming months. Lebanon’s first-ever Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Acute Food Insecurity Analysis has said that the situation in Lebanon can get worse between January and April 2023.
Reportedly, around 1.46 million Lebanese residents and around 800,000 Syrian refugees can be impacted by the crises in Lebanon. These people will require urgent humanitarian assistance.
The analysis report has been launched by Lebanese Agriculture Minister Abbas Hajj Hassan, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Representative in Lebanon, Nora Ourabah Haddad and World Food Programme (WFP) Country Director in Lebanon, Abdallah Al Wardat.
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The economic crisis in Lebanon led to food insecurity. It enhanced the suffering of people, depreciated the official currency of Lebanon, increased living costs and prevented families from accessing enough food and water.
WFP’s Abdallah Al Alwardat said that people need urgent assistance to mitigate their suffering. FAO Nora Ourabah Haddad highlighted the need to transform the country’s agrifood systems. The Minister of Agriculture also affirmed working together to find solutions to the current economic crises.
Since late 2019, the Lebanese people have been suffering due to a severe economic crisis. Massive currency depreciation also affected people as they got no access to food, water, fuel and electricity. Corruption, mismanagement and huge state debt led to financial problems. The Beirut port explosion in 2020 also increased poverty. The Covid-19 pandemic also impacted the lives of people.
The World Bank Lebanon Economic Monitor Fall 2021 report categorised the crisis in the country as the top three most severe economic collapses across the world since the 1850s.
