AUTHOR=Makoukji Mariana , Amhez Nour El Houda , Yehya Abed Al Kareem , Ghattas Hala , Abunnasr Yaser , Zurayk Rami 

TITLE=Food systems under shock: the evolution of food security status of Karantina residents after the Beirut explosion

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems

VOLUME=Volume 8 - 2024

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainable-food-systems/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2024.1351541

DOI=10.3389/fsufs.2024.1351541

ISSN=2571-581X

ABSTRACT=Robust food systems are crucial for ensuring access to affordable and nutritious food, particularly in times of crisis. Economic instability and political turmoil can disrupt food systems, leading to higher food prices, compromised nutrition, and increased vulnerability. Lebanon is a stark example of this, where the explosion in Beirut's Port in 2020 worsened an existing economic and humanitarian crisis. The depreciation of the Lebanese currency led to soaring food prices, impacting people's ability to buy food, and pushing many into poverty, illustrating the significant impact of the state food system during crises. In times of crisis, a simplified food system, relying on emergency food aid supplies, replaces conventional food system, as food aid and cash transfers become the primary source upon which the affected population depends to ensure their food security and meet their essential needs. In this article we report on research conducted between 2020 and 22 focusing on the impacts of the Beirut explosion on food security status of the permanent residents the Karantina neighborhood – the closest residential area to the Beirut port. We surveyed 100 households chosen at random, examining shifts in food security and nutrition at three intervals: six months prior to the explosion, six months following it, and two years after the event. The findings revealed a sharp decline in food security and diet quality among residents in the two-year period following the explosion. The proportion of food-secure households fell from 71% to 2%, while those with acceptable food consumption decreased from 96% to 30%.  Food and cash assistance were provided to all households for 6  months to one-year post-explosion, resulting in improved food security and consumption after 6 months. However, these gains diminished two years later, once the assistance ended, revealing a lack of food security resilience.
Soon after the assistance stopped, the prolonged deterioration of Lebanon's economic situation, compounded by multiple crises, pushed these households further into poverty, exacerbating food insecurity. This research underscores the critical importance of sustained support and comprehensive economic reforms to rebuild resilient food systems