World Food Programme warns Lebanon facing food security crisis due to Iran war

Lebanon is facing a food security crisis as the Iran war disrupts supplies of goods inside the country, the United Nations World Food Programme said on Friday.

A fragile two-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran showed further strain on Friday, a day before they are expected to negotiate in Pakistan, as Washington ⁠accused Tehran of breaching promises on the Strait of Hormuz and Israel struck Lebanon with attacks that Iran has claimed violate the truce.

“What we’re witnessing is not just a displacement crisis, it is rapidly becoming a food security crisis,” said World Food Programme country director Allison Oman, speaking via video link from Beirut.

She warned that food was becoming increasingly unaffordable due to rising food ⁠prices and rising demand among displaced families.

Lebanon faces a two-layered crisis, in which some markets have fully collapsed - especially in the south, where more than 80% of markets are no longer functioning - while those in ⁠Beirut are under increasing strain, Oman said.

Many traders are reporting less than one week of essential food stocks remaining, she added.

The ability to deliver ⁠food aid into hard-to-reach areas in the south, which has faced heavy bombardment by Israeli airstrikes since March 2, was ⁠becoming increasingly difficult.

A WFP convoy that entered the south this week took over 15 hours, when it normally should have taken hours.

Source: Reuters

--Agencies