The United Nations (UN) indicated that international contributions to the Food Security and Agriculture component of the Lebanon Response Plan (LRP) reached $210m in 2024 compared to $174m in 2023. They represented 27% of the $780m that the LRP appealed for to assist affected Lebanese and non-Lebanese individuals in the country in 2024.  It also noted that it carried over $28m from funding it received in 2023, which was equivalent to 4% of the total appealed funds, and resulted in aggregate funding of $238m in 2024. As such, it said that total funding covered 31% of the funds it appealed for in 2024, resulting in a funding gap of $542m, or 69%, in the covered period.  The LRP 2024-2025 is a joint initiative between the Lebanese government and international and national partners that aims to address the country's humanitarian needs. The LRP also aims to promote progress against development objectives in the longer term. The plan comes after the expiration of the LCRP for the 2015-2016, the 2017-2021, and the 2022-2023 periods.  The UN indicated that it provided food assistance to 1.91 million individuals in 2024 who consisted of 1.23 million displaced Syrians, or 64.4% of the total, followed by 725,000 Lebanese citizens (38%), 4,000 Palestinian refugees from Syria (0.2%) and 2,000 Palestinian refugees in Lebanon (0.1%). It noted that it aimed to provide livelihoods assistance to two million poor individuals across Lebanon in 2024, who consist of 1.2 million displaced Syrians, or 60% of the total, followed by 748,000 vulnerable Lebanese citizens (37.4%), 76,000 Palestinian refugees in Lebanon (3.8%), and 15,000 Palestinian refugees from Syria (0.8%).  It pointed that the LRP reached out to 337,000 individuals out of a target of 338,000 persons to provide them in-kind food assistance in 2024. The targeted persons consisted of 256,000 Lebanese citizens in need who account for 76% of the total, and of 77,000 displaced Syrians who account for the balance of 25%. It said that the program delivered cash-based food assistance to 1.6 million individuals out of a target of 1.604 million persons in the covered period, who consisted of one million displaced Syrians and of 451,000 Lebanese citizens in need.  Also, it indicated that the LRP provided capacity building, in-kind, or cash-based assistance to 15,000 farmers last year, who consisted of 12,000 Lebanese citizens in need, or 83% of the total, and of 2,000 displaced Syrians or 16% of the total. It said that the program delivered skills development and training in agriculture to 794 individuals out of a target of 654 persons in the covered period. It added that 349 agricultural cooperatives, Lebanese micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises, and associations benefited from capacity building and from in-kind or cash-based assistance. In addition, it indicated that the LRP disbursed $1.55m in cash assistance to farmers and agricultural entities. (ICE BEIRUT)

Fonte notizia: Byblos Bank, May 5 - 10, 2025