The World Food Programme (WFP) recently released its 2024 Annual Country Report on Lebanon. In details, the report revealed that the WFP has extended aid to some 2.3 million beneficiaries divided between 1.2 million females (51%) and circa 1.1 million males (49%), with those aged between 18 and 59 being the largest beneficiary group. In addition, the report noted that out of the previously mentioned 2.3 million individuals, around 1.1 million were Syrian refugees and 1.2 million were vulnerable Lebanese.

According to the WFP, the escalation of hostilities in 2024 drove Lebanon into crisis, leading to mass internal displacement that destroyed livelihoods and worsened food insecurity. In addition, the report noted that tensions peaked in September 2024, triggering unparalleled violence. It also added that as the conflict spread beyond South Lebanon, destruction further weakened infrastructure and deepened the country’s economic crisis. From another perspective, the report revealed that despite the stabilization of the exchange rate, the drop in humanitarian assistance in the first half of 2024 in addition to the escalation of the conflict have increased food insecurity from 19% of the population in April to 23% in September and to 29% in December.

In parallel, the WFP revealed that it prioritized assistance to the most marginalized among Lebanon’s population, including individuals affected by the conflict by providing them with food and basic needs. In addition, the report noted that the WFP has provided the 2.3 million beneficiaries with food and cash assistance equally between men and women while providing specific support to individuals with disabilities. Furthermore, the WFP implemented cash transfers to 794,000 Lebanese through the Government’s Emergency Social Safety Net (ESSN).

From another standpoint, the WFP noted that it chose to prioritize helping households encountering the highest levels of food insecurity and hence opted to scale down the number of assisted households. More specifically, the WFP reduced in-kind food assistance by 60% in 2024, while the food basket was revised to decrease the cost by 25%. In addition, the report stated that due to the lack of available resources, the WFP and the Government of Lebanon (GoL) reduced the transfer value of cash assistance to marginalized Lebanese under the National Poverty Targeting Programme (NPTP) in February 2024 by slashing the food component by 50% and the non-food component by 20%, bearing in mind that this programme ended in June and that the beneficiaries were transferred to the Government’s ESSN programme in October. The report also noted that the school meals programme operated for 140 out of 210 planned days as the start of the 2024-2025 school year was delayed by the ongoing conflict.

The report also revealed that in preparation for a potential conflict escalation in the last quarter of 2024, the WFP (in collaboration with the GoL and humanitarian partners) rapidly increased its assistance despite limited funding and security risks. In details, the WFP prepositioned 1,212 metric tons (mt) of food stocks and conducted agreements with bakeries & kitchens, the Government Social Safety Net system, and its cash transfer network to promptly provide food and cash assistance to 752,000 affected individuals including ones in shelters and hard-to-reach areas. The report added that the WFP also collaborated with organizations to optimize food distribution and setting up a notification system to improve safety and access to high-risk areas. The WFP also increased cash assistance granted to a family of five Syrian refugees from $115 to $145 per month.

The WFP also helped incorporate the NPTP into the World Bank-funded ESSN in October 2024 by creating a unified, government-led social protection framework. Delving into details, the report stated that the WFP helped the Ministry of Social Affairs (MoSA) in setting up a call center that became operational in September 2024, allowing families that receive MoSA emergency cash assistance to provide feedback or raise complaints. In addition, the WFP aided the Ministry of Economy and Trade in improving market transparency and price monitoring by applying a market price information system and issuing monthly food price reports. Furthermore, the WFP helped the Ministry of Public Health in managing acute malnutrition.

Finally, the WFP noted that as Lebanon continues to encounter larger challenges, its focus on social protection, food systems, emergency preparedness and response will remain vital for Lebanon’s resilience and recovery starting 2025.