New York, April 29 (Petra) -- More than 1.25 million people in Lebanon are at risk of falling into "crisis" levels of food insecurity or worse by August, according to a joint United Nations and Lebanese government report released on Wednesday.

The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis, published by the Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture alongside the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP), warns that recent military escalation has reversed previous humanitarian gains and pushed the country back into a cycle of instability.

The report highlights that the convergence of active conflict, mass displacement, and surging commodity prices has made basic food items increasingly unaffordable for a significant portion of the population.

"The vulnerability we cautioned against in our previous analysis has, unfortunately, been realized," said Alyson Oman Lawi, WFP Representative in Lebanon. "Hard-won progress has evaporated rapidly. Families that were previously managing are now at risk of slipping back into crisis as the combined effects of conflict and displacement drive costs to prohibitive levels." The agricultural sector, a vital lifeline for rural communities, has been particularly hard hit. Nora Araba Haddad, the FAO Representative in Lebanon, noted that cumulative shocks are systematically undermining agricultural livelihoods.

Haddad emphasized the urgent need for emergency agricultural assistance to support local farmers and prevent a total collapse of domestic food production systems. Without immediate intervention, officials warn that the nutritional status of the most vulnerable groups will continue to deteriorate as the lean season approaches.

The findings underscore the deepening humanitarian challenges facing Lebanon, which was already struggling with a protracted economic crisis prior to the onset of the current regional hostilities.

//Petra// AF