The World Food Programme (WFP) recently released its 2022 Annual Country Report for Lebanon. In details, the report revealed that the WFP has extended aid to some 2.03 million beneficiaries divided between 1.04 million females (51%) and circa 0.99 million males (49%), with those aged between 18 and 59 being the largest age group of individuals benefiting from the WFP assistance. In addition, the report noted that of the previously mentioned 2.03 million individuals, 1.20 million were refugees and 0.82 million were residents. Furthermore, 467,166 beneficiaries received in-kind food parcels with a total weight of 45,983 metric tons while 1.63 million others received cash based transfers (with a value of $286.72 million). It is worth noting that the WFP had originally planned to assist around 2.38 million beneficiaries in 2022.

From another perspective, the report mentioned that Lebanon was reclassified from an upper-middle-income country to a low-middle-income one, as the country’s population (6.8 million) fell deeper into poverty. More specifically, the Lebanese population’s purchasing power has been significantly affected by inflation and high unemployment rates. In figures, the report noted that food prices increased by 2000% over the October 2019 and December 2022 period mainly as a result of the depreciation of the Lebanese Pound against the US Dollar by 94% and the removal of subsidies, not to mention the rising food and energy prices globally as a result of the Ukrainian crisis. Moreover, the report noted that the first ever Integrated Phase Classification food security analysis for Lebanon revealed that between September and December 2022, around 37% of the total Lebanese population was considered to be facing “high acute food insecurity”, with 33% (~1.29 million individuals) of Lebanese and 46% (~700,000 individuals) of Syrian refugees facing food insecurity. Delving further into details, the WFP’s analysis found that food insecurity was most prominent in a household having a member with a chronic illness or disability, unemployment, and a lack of access to health services and education.

With regards to cash transfers, the WFP revealed that despite increasing the value of cash transfers back in April 2022, the overall value of said transfers was insufficient to offset the sharp price increases and the depreciation of the Lebanese Pound against the US Dollar to meet the minimum living standards. From another perspective, the WPF mentioned that it provided in-kind food assistance to food-insecure Lebanese affected by the ongoing economic crisis so that families are able to meet their food needs. In figures, the WFP has reached some 400,000 individuals (51% women and 49% men) in 2022 through its economic crisis response, thereby reaching its target of assisting 100,000 households. On a positive note, the report revealed that food consumption scores rose for both households headed by women and men in 2022 when compared to the year 2021. The WFP has also adjusted the composition of its food parcel to better address nutritional needs, with door-to-door distributions being made available for people with specific needs or mobility challenges.

On the other hand, some encouraging results were observed among schoolchildren thereby suggesting that the school feeding program is contributing to children’s nutrition during the crisis. From another perspective, the WFP revealed that it increased its technical assistance to the government for social assistance, including cash transfer services for the implementation of the ESSN. The report commented in this respect that the number of Lebanese households who obtained assistance through national social safety nets increased by four folds in 2022 compared to 2021. Furthermore, the WFP’s country strategic plan for Lebanon during the 2023-2025 period will maintain its crisis response and safety nets support.