Summary of this article
UN’s World Food Programme warns Lebanon is facing a rapidly worsening food security crisis amid war and displacement.
Prices of essentials like vegetables and bread have surged, while markets in southern Lebanon have largely collapsed.
Israel’s intensified strikes and ongoing conflict have disrupted supply chains, leaving up to 900,000 people food insecure.
Lebanon is sliding into a deepening food security crisis amid the ongoing regional conflict, the World Food Programme warned on Friday, as surging prices, displacement and supply disruptions push vulnerable communities to the brink.
“What we’re witnessing is not just a displacement crisis, it is rapidly becoming a food security crisis,” said Allison Oman, speaking from Beirut, cautioning that food is becoming increasingly unaffordable for families already uprooted by violence.
The warning comes as Lebanon faces a dual shock: the fallout of the broader conflict involving Iran and intensifying Israeli strikes targeting Hezbollah positions. Despite a fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran, hostilities in Lebanon have continued unabated, exacerbating humanitarian conditions on the ground.
In a major escalation, Israel launched its largest attack on Lebanon since the war with Hezbollah began, killing at least 254 people and wounding 837. Warplanes struck more than 100 sites, levelling buildings in central Beirut and leaving parts of the capital engulfed in smoke and debris. The assault has further disrupted already fragile supply chains and market systems.
According to the WFP, food prices have spiked sharply in recent weeks. Vegetable prices have risen by over 20 percent, while bread costs have increased by 17 percent since early March. The surge is being driven by a combination of supply shortages, rising demand from displaced populations and declining household incomes.
“What we’re now seeing is a very worrying combination: prices are rising, incomes are disrupted and demand is increasing as displacement continues,” Oman said.
The crisis is particularly acute in southern Lebanon, where heavy bombardment has crippled local economies. More than 80 percent of markets in the region are no longer functioning, while traders report having less than a week’s worth of essential food stocks remaining.
In Beirut, markets remain operational but are under mounting strain as displaced families flock to the capital. Humanitarian access to the south has also become increasingly difficult, with damaged infrastructure and ongoing airstrikes hindering aid deliveries. Although key routes such as the Qasmiyeh bridge have reopened, movement remains restricted.
The WFP said it has managed to send 10 convoys to southern Lebanon, reaching between 50,000 and 150,000 people in need. However, the scale of the crisis is rapidly outpacing relief efforts.
Nearly 900,000 people across Lebanon are now estimated to be facing food insecurity — a figure that is expected to rise if the conflict continues. “This escalation is pushing vulnerable communities even closer to the edge,” Oman warned.
