Lebanon’s first ever Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Acute Food Insecurity Analysis predicts that the situation will deteriorate between January and April this year, with 2.26 million people – 1.46 million Lebanese residents and around 800,000 refugees – expected to be in the “crisis” phase or worse, needing urgent assistance, the United Nations reported on Thursday.
The results of the analysis were officially launched by Agriculture Minister Abbas Hajj Hassan, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Representative in Lebanon, Nora Ourabah Haddad, and World Food Programme (WFP) Country Director in Lebanon, Abdallah Al Wardat. UN Deputy Special Coordinator for Lebanon Imran Riza and other stakeholders, who took part in the process, were also at the launch.
A three-year economic crisis which has seen the currency depreciate heavily, protective food subsidies lifted, and living costs rise dramatically, is preventing families from accessing enough food and other basic needs each day. “More people than ever before in Lebanon are now dependent on assistance,” said WFP’s Abdallah Al Alwardat.
“These findings are deeply troubling and reflect the dire situation that many people in Lebanon are currently facing.” The Minister of Agriculture in the caretaker government, Dr. Abbas Hajj Hassan, said that the launch provided and opportunity “to discuss together solutions that keep pace with the crises that Lebanon suffers from, in light of the social and economic crises.
