Food insecurity in Lebanon remains fragile despite signs of easing as the country enters the new year, new analysis shows

As Lebanon enters the new year, the analysis shows that food insecurity remains fragile and highly sensitive to shocks, despite some easing observed under current conditions.

According to the report, around 874,000 people – approximately 17 percent of the population analysed – are facing Crisis (IPC Phase 3) or Emergency (IPC Phase 4) levels of acute food insecurity between November 2025 and March 2026.

While this reflects a relative stabilisation compared to previous periods, the situation does not indicate a sustained recovery. Many households remain close to critical thresholds and highly vulnerable to economic, political, and security shocks.

Food insecurity continues to affect certain districts and vulnerable population groups more severely. Persistent pressure is observed in parts of Baalbek and El Hermel, Akkar, Baabda, Zahle, Saida, Bent Jbeil, Marjayoun, El Nabatieh, and Tyre, as well as among refugee communities. For the first time, the assessment also includes people arriving from Syria after December 2024, reflecting evolving displacement dynamics and the need to better capture emerging vulnerabilities. These areas continue to experience compounded pressures from conflict impacts, displacement, limited livelihood recovery, and constrained access to essential services.

Looking ahead, IPC projections for April to July 2026 indicate that the number of people facing acute food insecurity is expected to increase to around 961,000 people – approximately 18 percent of the population analysed. This projected deterioration is driven primarily by anticipated reductions in humanitarian food assistance, alongside persistent economic pressures, high living costs, slow recovery of livelihoods, ongoing displacement, and delayed reconstruction of damaged infrastructure.

The analysis highlights the slow and uneven recovery of agricultural livelihoods. Damage to irrigation systems, roads, and storage facilities, rising input costs, and recurrent drought continue to constrain production, particularly in the Bekaa and southern regions. These challenges were further exacerbated by an exceptionally dry 2024–2025 season, which reduced water availability for key crops.

In this context, the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Nizar Hani, affirmed that the findings “clearly demonstrate the scale of the remaining challenges facing food security in Lebanon, despite the positive indicators recorded over the past year.”

He added: “The continued fragility of food security calls on us to work at a faster pace and in a more integrated manner to support the resilience of Lebanese households and strengthen farmers’ capacities to withstand climate and economic shocks. Food security cannot be achieved through assistance alone, but rather through strategic investment in local agricultural production, the protection of natural resources, and the empowerment of rural communities to contribute to a more resilient and sustainable national economy. The Ministry of Agriculture is working in coordination with our partners at FAO and WFP to develop effective programmes to rehabilitate agricultural infrastructure, improve production, and enhance access to markets, ensuring a gradual transition from reliance on assistance to sustainable food stability.” The Minister concluded by reiterating the Ministry’s commitment to strengthening national and international partnerships “to protect the most vulnerable people and to safeguard the agricultural sector as a fundamental pillar of food security and national stability.”

“Behind these numbers are families who remain one shock away from slipping back into acute food insecurity,” said Anne Valand, WFP Representative and Country Director a.i. in Lebanon. “People’s needs remain high, and predictable assistance will be essential to help people meet basic food needs and prevent further deterioration.”

According to Nora Ourabah Haddad, FAO Representative in Lebanon: “While food insecurity trends show a slight 4 percent improvement from the previous IPC round, 17,000 agricultural households are still facing food insecurity. Small-scale farmers remain among the most affected, with around half reporting a decline in their main source of income due to conflict impacts and a prolonged dry spell. Therefore, FAO is prioritizing support to restore agricultural livelihoods and protect farmlands, as sustained investment in agriculture is essential to safeguard recent gains in food security and prevent the projected deterioration in 2026.”

More than a year after the November 2024 ceasefire, the analysis highlights that Lebanon’s food security situation remains highly sensitive to changes in the security and economic context. Economic fragility, delayed reconstruction, ongoing displacement pressures, and shrinking humanitarian resources continue to shape vulnerability across the country.

As Lebanon enters 2026, the findings reinforce the need for sustained humanitarian assistance, close monitoring of evolving risks, and coordinated action to protect the most vulnerable people across the country.

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About the World Food Programme (WFP)

The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

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About the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. FAO’s goal is to achieve food security for all and ensure people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With 195 members, 194 countries and the European Union, FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide.

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