Lebanese children face rising hunger levels in 2023

The number of children in Lebanon facing rising hunger levels is set to increase by 14 percent early this year, Save the Children warned on Tuesday.  

Four in ten Lebanese and Syrian refugee children in Lebanon are currently facing acute food insecurity driven by a food crisis caused by years of economic instability and fueled by global climate and hunger crisis.  

The organization reported figures from the first IPC (September-December 2022) acute food insecurity analysis conducted in Lebanon, which indicated that 37 percent of the Lebanese and Syrian population in Lebanon are living with high food insecurity. It also revealed that over 306,000 people face a severe lack of food access, which could lead to starvation.   

This figure may increase from 37 percent to 42 percent for the first quarter of 2023 if necessary action is not taken.  

This makes Lebanon the 6th worst food crisis worldwide, with a share of the population facing severe food insecurities, including South Sudan, Yemen, Haiti, Afghanistan, and the Central African Republic.  

Save the Children reported that the crisis was pushed by poverty, frequent power cuts, the cholera outbreak, and a worsening economic situation, reflected by the poor living conditions for millions of citizens.  

Save the Children’s Country Director in Lebanon, Jennifer Moorehead, said that “an increasing number of children will become malnourished, or even face starvation. Families are telling us they’re forced to skip meals or reduce the number of nutritious meals for their children. More must be done to prevent Lebanon from becoming the next tragic hunger emergency.”