In September 2024, devastating airstrikes in Lebanon claimed the lives of nearly 4,000 women, men, and children, and displaced over 830,000 people who survived the violence. Prior to this latest escalation of conflict – the most significant since the 2006 Lebanon War – poverty in Lebanon had more than tripled over the past decade.
As a member of the Humanitarian Coalition (HC), Foodgrains Bank members Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Canada and World Renew responded quickly through their local partners in Lebanon. Over $9 million was raised through the HC appeal, including a $5.17 million matching grant from the Government of Canada
In Mount Lebanon governate where both partners are working, many households rely on negative coping strategies such as borrowing money or food, reducing meal frequency or size, and selling personal assets to afford critical needs.
“While markets have recovered and displacement has somewhat eased [since the conflict-driven food crisis in late 2024], economic constraints and insufficient assistance continue to push many into IPC Phase 3 conditions,” says the team at ADRA Lebanon, who assisted 6,678 individuals with food boxes and e-cards, with support from ADRA Canada. “Without sustained support, a large portion of Mount Lebanon’s population remains at risk of chronic food insecurity.”
Watch ADRA’s video on their work in Lebanon:
Also working in Mount Lebanon governate, World Renew’s partner Middle East Revive and Thrive (MERATH) provided eight months of either grocery store vouchers valued at $28 CAD per person per month, or food parcels supplying 40.6 kg of food, as appropriate for the location.
“I received the call that I would get the new e-card for food when I most needed it,” says Rima, a widow and mother of three adult children, two of whom live with severe disabilities. “With the e-cards, I get a lot of the food we consume each month, including things that [my disabled children] Bernard and Cynthia like and can eat, such as their favourite cereals, milk, and soft cheese that I prepare for them with bread and tomatoes,” says Rima.
Through the project supported by World Renew, 1,132 families (4,530 individuals) like Rima’s could access food assistance when they most needed it. (Photo: MERATH)
In 2025, Rima lost her husband to health issues which she attributes to stress on his health from the war and displacement. “I have gone through difficult times in my life, but nothing compares to losing him,” she says. “He was my whole world. He was very kind, generous, and of good character.
“Now that he is gone, we have no income to rely upon… I don’t like that I need to ask for help. The last thing I want is to be a burden to anyone, whether my own children, or to ask for money from strangers. I would rather work and provide for myself and my family,” she says. “But the truth is I really cannot because [my children] Bernard and Cynthia need constant care.
“I always pray for God to find a solution and to help us in a dignifying way. Praise be to Him, so far, He has been by our side.”
Both partners continue to work in Lebanon in the midst of the hunger crisis, serving thousands of families with food assistance.
