AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): While Lebanon remains under the shadow of economic and war crises, the World Food Programme has warned that the country is approaching a serious food security crisis.
According to a report by Al Jazeera, Allison Oman, the Director of the World Food Programme in Lebanon, said in a video call from Beirut, "What Lebanon is witnessing is no longer just a displacement crisis; it is rapidly turning into a food security crisis. The continuous rise in food prices has exacerbated the decline in purchasing power, while demand among displaced Lebanese families has increased."
She added that Lebanon is facing a two-tiered crisis, meaning that some markets in the country have completely collapsed, particularly in southern Lebanon, where more than 80 percent of markets are no longer operational, while markets in Beirut are also under increasing pressure.
According to the programme, vegetable prices in Lebanon have increased by more than 20 percent, and the price of bread has risen by 17 percent since March 2. At the same time, some traders in the country have warned that stocks of basic food items in Lebanon may not last for more than a week.
Furthermore, delivering food aid to inaccessible areas in southern Lebanon has become more difficult. Although the Qasmiyeh Bridge, which had previously been targeted, has become usable again, crossing it remains complicated.
In this regard, ten convoys affiliated with the World Food Programme have been dispatched to southern Lebanon to provide assistance to a population of between 50,000 and 150,000 people.
Oman emphasized that this escalation of tensions has pushed vulnerable communities to the brink. Approximately 900,000 people in Lebanon are facing food insecurity, and it is predicted that this number will increase if the current situation continues.
This warning comes as the fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran remains in place for a second day, without putting an end to the parallel war that Israel has waged against Lebanon—a situation that has perpetuated security, economic, and logistical pressures within Lebanon.
**************
End/ 345E
