Australia provides critical funding to support WFP in addressing food insecurity in Lebanon

An average family in Lebanon now pays approximately 35 USD per person per month for staple food items like cooking oil, rice, and beans. Today, Lebanon's current minimum wage only covers slightly more than half of a family's monthly food requirements.

“Lebanon’s prolonged economic crisis, the daily challenges people are facing in ensuring their families have enough food to eat, and the heightened regional tensions moving into 2024 have been a persistent concern,” says Abdallah Alwardat, WFP Lebanon Country Director and Representative. “We are deeply grateful to the people and Government of Australia for their contribution which comes at this critical time for WFP’s work to reach the most vulnerable people.”

Australia’s flexible contributions have been crucial to WFP’s work in Lebanon, allowing WFP to allocate funding where it is needed most in both its emergency and sustainable response. Recent figures indicate that 1.05 million people in Lebanon, 19 percent of the population, are grappling with acute food insecurity. With the current factors at play and unfolding events, this number is set to rise to 1.14 million by April 2024.

“Australia is pleased to be providing an additional AUD 4 million to the World Food Programme in Lebanon. With this contribution, Australia is supporting vulnerable families to maintain dignity, safety, and access to life-saving assistance. At this challenging time, we are supporting food and other services to reach those most in need,” says Ambassador Andrew Barnes, Australian Embassy in Lebanon.

With the support of donors and steadfast partners like Australia, WFP in Lebanon remains at the forefront of the response to the economic crisis, reaching one in every three people nationwide with food and cash assistance, including sustainable forms of aid through the Government’s social protection system.

Over the past four years and since the onset of the financial crisis, Australia’s contributions have helped WFP support Lebanese families and Syrian refugees with needed food and cash assistance. Australia’s new contribution brings their total support to WFP in Lebanon to AUD 22 million (USD 14.49 million) since the onset of the economic crisis in 2019.

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About WFP

The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

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