The Ministry of Agriculture, in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), has released the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis covering November 2025 to July 2026, with technical support from the IPC Global Support Unit. The assessment shows that food insecurity in Lebanon remains fragile and highly sensitive to shocks, despite some easing under current conditions.
The report indicates that around 874,000 people—approximately 17 percent of the population analysed—are experiencing Crisis (IPC Phase 3) or Emergency (IPC Phase 4) levels of acute food insecurity between November 2025 and March 2026. While this represents a relative stabilisation compared to previous periods, the situation does not reflect a sustained recovery. Many households remain close to critical thresholds and are highly vulnerable to economic, political, and security shocks.
Food insecurity continues to disproportionately affect certain districts and vulnerable groups, including populations in Baalbek and El Hermel, Akkar, Baabda, Zahle, Saida, Bent Jbeil, Marjayoun, El Nabatieh, and Tyre, as well as refugee communities. For the first time, the analysis includes arrivals from Syria after December 2024, highlighting evolving displacement dynamics and emerging vulnerabilities. These areas continue to experience compounded pressures from conflict, displacement, limited livelihood recovery, and constrained access to essential services.
Projections for April to July 2026 indicate that the number of people facing acute food insecurity could rise to around 961,000—approximately 18 percent of the population analysed. This deterioration is expected due to reductions in humanitarian food assistance, persistent economic pressures, high living costs, slow livelihood recovery, ongoing displacement, and delayed reconstruction of damaged infrastructure.
Agricultural livelihoods continue to recover slowly and unevenly. Damage to irrigation systems, roads, and storage facilities, rising input costs, and recurrent drought have constrained production, particularly in the Bekaa and southern regions. The exceptionally dry 2024–2025 season further reduced water availability for key crops, exacerbating challenges for small-scale farmers.
Minister of Agriculture Dr. Nizar Hani emphasized that the findings underline the ongoing challenges for food security in Lebanon. He highlighted the need for integrated support to strengthen household resilience, improve farmers’ capacities, and invest strategically in local agriculture, natural resource protection, and rural community empowerment. The Ministry, together with FAO and WFP, is developing programs to rehabilitate agricultural infrastructure, enhance production, and improve market access, aiming for a gradual transition from reliance on assistance to sustainable food stability.
Anne Valand, WFP Representative in Lebanon, stressed that many families remain one shock away from acute food insecurity, and that predictable humanitarian assistance is crucial to meet basic needs and prevent further deterioration. FAO Representative Nora Ourabah Haddad noted that although trends show a slight 4 percent improvement from the previous IPC round, 17,000 agricultural households remain food insecure, with small-scale farmers being particularly affected. FAO is prioritizing support to restore livelihoods and protect farmlands to sustain recent gains in food security.
Over a year after the November 2024 ceasefire, Lebanon’s food security situation remains highly sensitive to economic and security changes. Ongoing displacement, economic fragility, delayed reconstruction, and shrinking humanitarian resources continue to shape vulnerability across the country. The IPC findings highlight the urgent need for sustained humanitarian assistance, careful monitoring of emerging risks, and coordinated action to protect the most vulnerable populations in 2026.
