Post-War Economic Crisis in Lebanon: Unemployment in Conflict-Affected Areas Hits 24%

Post-War Economic Crisis in Lebanon: Unemployment in Conflict-Affected Areas Hits 24%
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Lebanon is grappling with a severe economic crisis in the aftermath of the recent war, with unemployment in conflict-affected areas soaring to 24%, Shia Waves Persian revealed citing a new report by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA).

The study shows that employment in the private sector has dropped by 25%, undermining earlier positive economic forecasts for 2024. The World Bank also reported that Lebanon’s real economic growth has contracted by 6.6% as a direct result of the conflict.

The hardest-hit regions, including Baalbek–Hermel, Nabatieh, and southern Lebanon, recorded the steepest job losses, with 36% of the workforce displaced, compared to 17% in less affected areas.

The impact has been particularly harsh on women. Female unemployment reached 18%, compared to 12% among men, while women’s incomes declined by 35%. Across the country, average income levels have fallen by 15%.

Beyond job losses, the war has fueled a worsening food security crisis. ESCWA estimates that 1.6 million people in Lebanon now face severe food insecurity, including 928,000 Lebanese citizens.

The crisis comes on top of a decade-long surge in poverty: between 2012 and 2022, Lebanon’s poverty rate nearly tripled, rising from 11% to 33%.

Experts warn that without urgent measures in job creation, social protection, and infrastructure rebuilding, Lebanon risks deepening inequality and instability. “Special attention to war-affected regions is essential to prevent further social and economic deterioration,” ESCWA noted.

Despite the ceasefire, recovery remains slow, leaving millions of Lebanese trapped in worsening hardship.