Socio-economic impact: Lebanon's post-war collapse

Report by Lea Fayad, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi 

Is the war in Lebanon over? One thing is certain—the country's economy is still paying the price of the last war, which came after five years of economic and social crisis.

According to a new United Nations report titled "The Socio-Economic Impact of the 2024 War on Lebanon," the private sector lost 25% of its jobs during the conflict. Even after the ceasefire, 14% of those jobs remain unfilled. 

Meanwhile, 15% of businesses have shut down permanently, while another 21% are temporarily closed.

Key sectors, including agriculture, industry, and tourism, were severely hit. The ripple effects have been devastating: nearly one million Lebanese, approximately 928,000 people, are living in a state of acute food insecurity.

The report warns that even with immediate and comprehensive reforms, Lebanon's economy is projected to reach only 8% of its pre-crisis size by 2030.

Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Lebanon, Blerta Aliko, said that without genuine political will and serious reforms, the compounded crisis that began in 2019 and worsened during the 2024 war may become inescapable.