Lebanon faces deepening food crisis as Iran war disrupts supply chains

Lebanon is facing a growing food security crisis as disruptions linked to the Iran war continue to affect the flow of goods into the country, the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) said.

A fragile two-day-old ceasefire has halted the campaign of US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran, but has not yet eased a parallel conflict involving Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah forces in Lebanon, Reuters reports.

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

She warned that food affordability is deteriorating rapidly amid rising prices and increasing demand among displaced families.

According to the WFP, the price of vegetables has increased by more than 20%, while bread prices have risen by 17% since March 2.

“What we're now seeing is a very worrying combination: prices are rising, incomes are disrupted and demand is increasing as displacement continues for many families,” Oman stated.

The WFP said Lebanon is facing a two-layered crisis, with some markets collapsing entirely—particularly in the south—where more than 80% of markets are no longer functioning, while markets in Beirut are coming under increasing strain.

Oman added that many traders in conflict-affected areas in southern Lebanon are reporting having less than one week of essential food stocks remaining.

She also noted that delivering food assistance to hard-to-reach areas in the south, which has faced heavy bombardment since March 2, is becoming increasingly difficult.

While the Qasmiyeh bridge—previously struck—has now reopened, movement in the area remains restricted. The WFP said ten convoys have reached southern Lebanon to deliver aid to an estimated 50,000 to 150,000 people in need of humanitarian assistance.

“This escalation is pushing vulnerable communities even closer to the edge,” Oman said, adding that approximately 900,000 people across Lebanon are now facing food insecurity, a figure expected to rise further.

By Vafa Guliyeva