Exploring the Impact of Crises on Food Security in Lebanon: Results from a National Cross-Sectional Study

Maha Hoteit, Youssef Al-Atat, Hussein Joumaa, Suheir El Ghali, Rania Mansour, Reem Mhanna, Fatima Sayyed-Ahmad, Pascale Salameh and Ayoub Al-Jawaldeh
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Maha Hoteit: Faculty of Public Health, Lebanese University, Beirut 6573, Lebanon
Youssef Al-Atat: Faculty of Science, Lebanese University, Beirut 6573, Lebanon
Hussein Joumaa: Faculty of Science, Lebanese University, Beirut 6573, Lebanon
Suheir El Ghali: Faculty of Public Health, Lebanese University, Beirut 6573, Lebanon
Rania Mansour: Faculty of Public Health, Lebanese University, Beirut 6573, Lebanon
Reem Mhanna: Faculty of Public Health, Lebanese University, Beirut 6573, Lebanon
Fatima Sayyed-Ahmad: Faculty of Public Health, Lebanese University, Beirut 6573, Lebanon
Pascale Salameh: Lebanese Food, Drugs and Chemical Administration, Lebanese University, Beirut 6573, Lebanon
Ayoub Al-Jawaldeh: World Health Organization Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, Cairo 11371, Egypt

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 16, 1-24

Abstract: This study aims to explore the prevalence and correlates of food insecurity among Lebanese households since the ordeals of COVID-19, economic crisis, and Beirut port explosions. At the core of the study, a mobile application entitled Nutrition Assessment System (NAS) that simplified the data collection was used as toolkit and a technical test was carried out in all Lebanese governorates between November 2020 and March 2021. Findings show that food insecurity is an immediate problem for households in Beirut and in many governorates in Lebanon. Nine in every 16 households ate less than 2 meals per day and more than 70% of them skipped their meals to spare food. Even though half the population studied had a low food consumption score, 82.4% of the people were not relying on livelihood coping strategies. However, more than three out of ten of these households relied on at least three food-based coping strategies. In addition, as for the livelihoods, this assessment found that most Lebanese households reported a drop in income along with an expansion in debt incurrence in the last 24 months to be able to buy food. Improving food security in Lebanon requires effort not only on the part of the government, but through regional and international actions.

Keywords: food security; Lebanon; nutritional assessment system; mobile; application; technology (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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