Rising Concerns Over Lebanon's Food Security Amid Escalating Crises

A World Food Programme official warned about Lebanon's worsening food security due to abandoned farmlands and hostilities. Hundreds of hectares have been destroyed, severely impacting agriculture. Concurrently, a World Health Organization official highlighted increased disease risks among displaced populations in Lebanon.

The World Food Programme has expressed grave concerns regarding Lebanon's escalating food security crisis. This alert arrives amidst reports of widespread abandonment and destruction of farmland in the southern regions of the country, attributed to increasing hostilities.

According to Matthew Hollingworth, WFP's country director in Lebanon, the situation is dire as potentially thousands of hectares destined for agricultural production have either been burned or forsaken. Hollingworth emphasized during a briefing in Geneva that the upcoming harvests are unlikely, with crops left to decay in the fields.

In parallel, Ian Clarke of the World Health Organization raised alarms over the heightened risk of disease outbreaks among Lebanon's displaced populations, further complicating the humanitarian challenges facing the nation.

(With inputs from agencies.)