Beirut, Lebanon (Enmaeya News) - In Lebanon today, malnutrition often does not manifest as outright starvation. Instead, it frequently appears as a child consuming only bread and tea three times daily, or a pregnant woman foregoing protein because meat has become unaffordable. Malnutrition increasingly reflects dietary deficiencies rather than a complete absence of food.

The World Food Programme reports that over 1.8 million people in Lebanon experienced food insecurity in 2024. Nutrition experts caution that even among households that manage daily meals, deficiencies in vitamins and protein are rising—particularly in impoverished regions such as Akkar, Tripoli, and parts of the Beqaa Valley.

The issue extends beyond hunger to the poor quality of available food. Humanitarian organizations note that many families depend heavily on subsidized carbohydrates like white rice, pasta, and bread due to their affordability and satiety. Meanwhile, fresh vegetables, dairy, and meat have become increasingly inaccessible. For many laborers, the cost of a kilogram of chicken now exceeds their daily wage.

Aid agencies are urging a reevaluation of food assistance strategies. They emphasize the need to provide families not just with staple calories but with protein and essential micronutrients. Additionally, school feeding programs, once a critical source of nutrition for children, have suffered significant budget cuts, leaving many without adequate nourishment during the school day.

As poverty deepens, Lebanon faces a silent malnutrition crisis that threatens the long-term physical and cognitive development of an entire generation.