World Renew Canada is supporting Lebanese Society for Educational and Social Development/ Middle East Revive and Thrive with a nine-month food voucher assistance project in Akkar, Beirut, North, Mount Lebanon and Bekaa Governorates.

Lebanon is in the fourth year of its severe economic collapse which has worsened the rates of unemployment, poverty, inflation, purchasing power and hunger.

Lebanon’s 2023 Emergency Response Plan found that in January, 3.9 million people across the country needed some form of humanitarian assistance. Meanwhile, the ongoing conflict in Syria over the past decade has resulted in an estimated 1.5 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon. This crisis has created a food security emergency for over 2 million people in Lebanon in 2023.

Hunger in Lebanon is on the rise, and as of March 2023, Lebanon had one of the highest annual food inflation rates in the world. IPC projections suggest that crisis levels of food insecurity (IPC 3) will be felt by 38% of the Lebanese population and 53% of the Syrian refugee population this year.

This project aims to increase immediate consumption of food and reduce hunger by providing vulnerable Syrian refugee and Lebanese families with monthly food vouchers (and e-cards in Beirut) worth $20 USD per person. This modality allows families to purchase preferred food from their local markets.

This assistance will be provided to 1244 households (approximately 4975 people).