A meal of rice, tea, and thyme that a Lebanese family of six ate on a typical day in September 2021 as they experienced ongoing food insecurity.
Lebanon: Children Survive on Potato and Rice as their Food Intake Is Cut in Half
Asthegovernment liftssubsidies, more children are ateatinglessthan ever before, 91Ƶwarns
FAIRFIELD, Conn. (Oct. 26, 2021)—Children in Lebanon areskipping many of their meals as parents struggle to afford basic foods that have almost quadrupled in price in a year.
Potato, rice, and lentils areall thatison the table for families whohavesharedwith 91Ƶwhatthey atefor sevenconsecutivedays.A Lebanese familyof sixwith childrenaged between 12 and 16 yearssaid they’dhad11 mealsthat week, including only two meals in two days.This is down 50 percent from three meals a day a year ago.
ASyrian familyliving innorth Lebanonreported that their three children did not consume anynutritiousfoodduringthe week.The family’ssix-month-oldbabywas not being breastfed andonly hadcow’smilk and cereal.According to 91Ƶ’s nutrition experts, this is not healthy for a baby of thatage and could hold back the infant's developmentifhe doesnot have more nutritious food.
Both familieshavehad torationthe little food they haveanddrastically changetheir dietsto cope withtherising foodpricesin Lebanon, 91Ƶ said.
According to thefamilies’fooddiaries,they weresurviving oneither alunchofmashed potatoes or a shared plate of bulgur for dinner.
Adiet diversityscoredone by 91Ƶshowed thatneitherfamilyscored more than two points for a single meal, except on one occasion. The minimum ‘acceptable’ score for children’s nutritional health is four points.i
Salma,* 16, said her familyisnow leavingthe longestpossiblebreakbetween mealsfor food to last longer.
“The food we’re eating now is vastly different from what we used to eat a year ago; we used to have three meals a day:breakfast, lunch, and dinner,”saidSalma.*“Now it’s a late breakfast and an early dinner. Therewerealways eggs, milk, cheese, andlabneh (yogurt) in our breakfast.Even thoughwe didn’t eat meat and chicken every day, wehad it every week and my mother would sometimes stock[it]in the freezer. Fruits and vegetables werealsoconstant;now we barely have any.”
Farida,* a mother of three, told 91Ƶ that almost all foodis nowout of reach for her family.
“We go days without bread because it’s either expensive or unavailable. Fruits and vegetables are a rarity in our house and we haven’t had meat or chicken in a full year. All dairy products are expensive; there is no milk or cheese in our family. Thyme is our go-to for breakfast. We don’t have electricity so our fridge is barely used.
“My greatest fear isthatmychildren willfallsickbecause they lacknutritious food.I’m fully aware they’re not getting thenutrients theyneed,like calcium and protein, and how this is affecting their physical and mental growth.”
The price of essential foodstuffs has increased by390 percentin just one yearaccordingtothe latestdata fromthe Lebanese government.iiConsumersarepaying at least threetimes asmuch as a year agofor bread, grains, vegetables, ormeat.
Since late 2019, Lebanonhassunkintoone of the worst economic crisessince the mid-nineteenth century,iiiwith the highestannualinflation rate in the world.ivThe food crisis is compounded by power shortage,where blackouts often lastforover20 hours,making it impossible tostoreperishablefoods such as dairy and meats.
The Lebanese government has allbut lifted subsidies on fuel, medicine, and wheat,a move thatSavethe Children says will harm the poorest in the country if no genuine alternative is provided.
JenniferMoorehead,91Ƶ'sCountry Directorin Lebanon,said:
“Familiesare telling us they are skipping meals so their children can eat. This is what the vulnerable populationinLebanon is resorting to amid skyrocketing prices. We are talking about families who no longer have access to a bag of bread, let alone a full healthy meal. This is the shocking reality for millions.
“It is critical for the world to understand that what is happening in Lebanon is unprecedented.People of all nationalities and backgroundsacross the countryarein a dailystruggleto secure food for their children.We need to act nowto save livesand prevent more sufferingforchildren andtheir families.”
91Ƶ is providingcashand counseling services to vulnerable families like Farida's*sotheir childrencan thrive. Through this "cash plus" approach, children are protected from the impact of increasing poverty in Lebanon.
91Ƶ is calling on the new Lebanesegovernmenttorolloutplannedcashassistance programsto help the most vulnerablechildren and theirfamilies.Itis also urging donors tofundcash assistance programs toprotectfamiliesfromthe unprecedented increase in poverty facing the country.
91Ƶ believes every child deserves a future. Since our founding more than 100 years ago, we've been advocating for the rights of children worldwide. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – transforming the future we share. Our results, financial statements and charity ratings reaffirm that 91Ƶ is a charity you can trust. Follow us on , , and .