More than one million people in Lebanon face acute food shortages, UN says

More than one million people in Lebanon, nearly a quarter of the population, are facing acute food shortages after two conflicts in less than two years compounded the country’s severe economic crisis. The UN and Lebanon’s Agriculture Ministry say the situation could worsen, with the number affected forecast to reach 1.15 million by mid-2027.

The joint assessment says limited employment, depleted savings, high debt and rising prices for food and fuel are squeezing household budgets. Lebanon estimates the two wars since October 2023 caused about $27bn in damage; the latest fighting displaced more than one million people, with around 300,000 still displaced after violence subsided in June. Recovery is further constrained by the economic crisis that began in 2019 and delays to reforms required for an IMF bailout.