Lebanon

Between October 2019 and April 2022, the national currency lost more than 90 percent of its value, and the price of the basic food basket monitored by WFP recorded an eleven-fold increase. The annual inflation rate overall for 2021 was 201 percent, the highest of all countries tracked by Bloomberg.

The consequences of the war in Ukraine are also heavily impacting Lebanon, creating additional inflationary pressures. With food exports suspended from the world’s grain basket, and imports affected by the global rise in prices for fuel and commodities, prices of food in Lebanon have already risen.

The human impact of the crisis is dire: poverty and food insecurity for all populations in Lebanon have sharply increased. Inflation-deteriorated purchasing power, high unemployment, stagnant wages and limited social safety nets have had severe consequences on the living conditions of not only the poorest, but also the middle class.  Now in 2022, 3.4 million people in Lebanon need humanitarian assistance. 

With the constant increase in food prices, food security has become a major concern. Half of Lebanese families and almost the entire refugee population are worried about having enough food to eat. 

Having shown exceptional solidarity towards people fleeing war and insecurity in neighbouring countries, Lebanon has the world’s highest per capita refugee presence, estimated at 25 percent of the overall population. The spill over from the ongoing war in Syria has exacerbated economic and social challenges, placing a strain on existing resources. According to WFP estimates, the number of Syrian refugees who are severely or moderately food insecure stands at 1.3 million, of whom 1.2 million are receiving assistance.

As the Lebanese and refugee populations were already suffering from the economic recession compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, a devastating blast hit the capital’s port on 4 August 2020, destroying homes, businesses and the major grain silos. The World Food Programme (WFP), along with other international and national actors, acted swiftly to ensure people were able to secure their food and other essential needs, and to rebuild their destroyed homes and livelihoods.  

With the initial aim to respond to the Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon, WFP has been providing life-saving assistance to refugees in the country since 2012. Since then, WFP’s role has expanded, ensuring that both vulnerable Lebanese and refugees have sufficient nutritious food throughout the year. WFP also provides technical assistance and capacity strengthening support to the Government of Lebanon.