Hunger in Lebanon Could Escalate Amid Israil Airstrikes

Michael Fakhri, UN special rapporteur on the right to food, has warned that hunger and malnutrition rates in Lebanon could rise sharply due to the ongoing Israeli military operations, which have already resulted in over 2,000 deaths and displaced approximately one million people, The Guardian reported on Sunday.

Fakhri emphasized that Israel has the capacity to disrupt Lebanon’s food supply, similar to the situation in Gaza.

Food security in Lebanon was precarious even before the escalation, with 40% of local farmers displaced due to rising hostilities. The UN World Food Programme reported that access to adequate food is increasingly difficult, particularly in southern Lebanon, where communities have fled their homes.

In June, the UN classified Lebanon as a hunger hotspot, indicating that a quarter of the population faces acute food insecurity amid inflation and reduced humanitarian aid for 1.5 million Syrian and Palestinian refugees.