The World Food Programme (WFP) recently released its 2023 Annual Country Report on Lebanon. In details, the report revealed that the WFP has extended aid to some 2.14 million beneficiaries divided between 1.09 million females (51%) and circa 1.05 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 2.14 million individuals, around 1.30 million were refugees and 0.84 million were residents. Furthermore, 383,672 beneficiaries received food parcels with a total weight of 28,698 metric tons while the other 1.66 million received cash based transfers (with a value of $228.68 million). It is worth noting that the WFP had originally planned to assist around 2.38 million beneficiaries in 2023.

From another perspective, the report mentioned that key drivers of food insecurity have begun to improve in Lebanon during the year 2023, five years since the socioeconomic crisis started. More specifically, the report revealed that during the first half of the year 2023, the Lebanese Pound sank to historic lows against the Dollar while several strikes were undertaken by employees of the public and banking sectors. The report noted, however, that the black market exchange rate somewhat stabilized by midyear. Individuals had access to more US Dollars in a progressively growing dollarized economy, in addition to access to subsidized bread and to more employment opportunities in specific sectors. Accordingly, some positive trends in food security were observed during the second half of 2023. In details, the October 2023 Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report for Lebanon revealed that 19% of the sample population (~1.05 million individuals) analyzed faced acute food insecurity, down from 25% in May 2023 and 37% in September 2022. The WFP report noted that individuals that suffered from food insecurity as per the October 2023 IPC report encompassed some 582,000 Lebanese residents, 411,000 Syrian refugees, 46,000 Palestinian refugees from Lebanon and 11,000 Palestinian refugees from Syria.

According to the report, elevated inflation levels and political & social instability threaten to eliminate food security gains recorded in 2023. More specifically, Lebanon registered the second highest nominal food inflation rate in the world in December 2023, standing at 220%. The report also noted that inflation, led by currency depreciation, has been the major culprit behind the increased poverty and food insecurity in the country. As a result of the economic crisis and the absence of proper social safety nets to cushion the impact of the plethora of shocks, some 800,000 Lebanese individuals were struggling with acute food insecurity in 2023.

The report also mentioned that the WFP continued to provide cash transfers to the poorest and most marginalized Lebanese families. More particularly, the report revealed that as more and more people become poor, the WFP has continued to provide assistance through the National Poverty Targeting Programme (NPTP) e-card while preserving the same level of transfer values. In figures, the initial target of the NPTP in 2014 was 5,000 households and this figure was increased to 75,000 households in 2023 (of which the WFP managed to reach 99% of its goal) corresponding to 412,000 individuals. The cash transfers provided to marginalized families were $20 per person (capped at six persons) to cover their food needs and $25 per household per month to cover their basic needs. The report noted, however, that due to the alarmingly high inflation levels, households’ purchasing power was eroded and accordingly, cash assistance cover just about 58% of food needs and 12% of other needs. This prompted households to purchase less expensive foods and reduce their portion size while others decided to sell productive assets and lower their expenditures on health. Concerning the feeding of children in schools, the WFP provided in the 2022-2023 academic year support to 75,000 students in 132 primary public schools. The WFP has also decided to expand its coverage to reach 100,000 students during the 2023-2024 academic year given the rising needs and worsening situation in Lebanon. The WFP noted, in this respect, that the expansion campaign was launched in November 2023, reaching 101,000 students across 185 schools in December.