Widespread Child Hunger Threatens to Worsen as Southern Lebanon Farms Struggle to Recover
BEIRUT (Nov. 6, 2026) — Persistent widespread child malnutrition and hunger in Lebanon underscores the urgent need to restore farming in the country’s south, where Israeli military attacks have destroyed almost one quarter of agricultural land, Save the Children said.
Food insecurity in Lebanon is expected to worsen in 2027
The latest analysis from global hunger monitor the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC)[1] warns that food insecurity across Lebanon is expected to worsen between March and July 2027, with the number of people facing crisis levels of food insecurity or worse projected to rise from about 1.05 million to 1.15 million. Refugees and recently displaced Lebanese populations are among the most affected.
Food Insecurity in Lebanon: Key Facts
• 1.15 million people are expected to face crisis levels of food insecurity or worse by March 2027, up from about 1.05 in September 2026.
• Almost one quarter of agricultural land has been destroyed by Israeli military attacks.
• Fewer meals and less dietary diversity will be available to children as agricultural and civilian infrastructure are destroyed.
How conflict is affecting food and farming in southern Lebanon
Save the Children said restricted access to farmland and the destruction of agricultural and civilian infrastructure are undermining food production and families’ ability to feed their children. For children, it means fewer meals and less dietary diversity.
An immediate and actual ceasefire that ensures an end to hostilities in all its forms is needed to protect children from the risk of hunger and malnutrition. This applies especially to children in the south and is also critical for stemming protection risks and long-term harm.
Save the Children calls for urgent action
Nora Ingdal, Save the Children Country Director in Lebanon, said:
“In southern Lebanon, the war has left farms, homes, and civilian infrastructure damaged or destroyed and restrictions on movement are keeping families from their land in the middle of the olive harvest. For many households, olives are their main source of income.
“As winter approaches, the rising costs of basic needs, including heating, will also force families into impossible choices between keeping their children warm and keeping them fed.
"Urgent international action is needed to allow farmers in the south to go back to their villages and restore agricultural activities there. This requires safe access to farmland, rehabilitation of damaged agricultural infrastructure, and support for farmers to resume production and rebuild their livelihoods.
"The international community must also urgently scale up funding for food assistance and nutrition programs to ensure that children and families facing food insecurity can access adequate and nutritious food, while supporting longer-term recovery and preventing further deterioration of the humanitarian situation.”
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[1] “Lebanon: Acute Food Insecurity Situation for September 2026 - February 2027 and Projection for March - July 2027,” Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). Nov. 06, 2026.
https://www.ipcinfo.org/ipc-country-analysis/details-map/en/c/1165475/?iso3=LBN
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