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Uprooted olive trees in the village of Blida in southern Lebanon, on 20 October 2025. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have ravaged the land with Merkava tanks and bulldozers. <\/p>\n
AFP <\/p>\n
War, economic collapse and declining rainfall are pushing Lebanon\u2019s agricultural sector to the brink. Even water projects backed by Switzerland are struggling to cope.\n<\/p>\n
This content was published on <\/p>\n
May 15, 2026 – 09:00\n<\/p>\n
Lebanon\u2019s humanitarian crisis is worsening. Nearly one in five people now face acute food insecurity, with more than 1.2 million people affected, according to the United Nations\u2019 IPC hunger scaleExternal link<\/a>. The war between Hezbollah and Israel has uprooted an estimated one million people inside the country, while hundreds of thousands have fled to Syria.<\/p>\n This displacement is hitting a country already in crisis. Lebanon\u2019s agricultural sector is badly weakened by a decade of crisis. It has long relied on food imports. Since 2019, the country has been hit by political and financial turmoil, the Covid-19 pandemic, the Beirut port explosion, two wars with Israel, and disrupted supply chains. Meanwhile, the impact of the recent blockade in the Strait of Hormuz remains unclear and rainfall across the region has been below average.<\/p>\n In Akkar, in northern Lebanon, one of the country\u2019s key farming regions, 65-year-old Ahmad Hussain Katlib tends fields and greenhouses in the village of Arqa. The small river that cuts through the village is increasingly one of his biggest worries.<\/p>\n \u201cThe water situation is very bad,\u201d he declared during a visit in late 2025. Rainfall had been below average the previous year, and the years before had not been good either. \u201cFortunately, I have a well. Not everyone does. But groundwater will not last forever,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n In villages such as Arqa, water distribution is traditionally overseen by a municipal appointee known as a \u201cshawish\u201d. When water is scarce, rumours of corruption or mismanagement often spread. \u201cBut this year there was not even enough rain for him to swindle us,\u201d Katlib says with a weary laugh.<\/p>\n War deepens the strain on agriculture<\/p>\n The mistrust points to another problem in Lebanon: the instability of the country, which is deeply divided politically. Some fear the latest war could undermine social cohesion, while others hope it might have exactly the opposite effect.<\/p>\n The farmer Ahmad Hussain Katlib in his greenhouse. <\/p>\n Giannis Mavris \/ SWI swissinfo.ch <\/p>\n \u201cLebanon has a valuable opportunity to transform its water sector,\u201d says Nora Ourabah Haddad, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization\u2019s (FAO) representative in Lebanon. \u201cThis means strengthening institutions, enforcing regulations, investing in infrastructure and innovation, and connecting water, energy and food systems more closely.\u201d Despite the challenges, she believes sustainable development is still possible.<\/p>\n Ahmad Hussain Katlib has so far been spared the direct impact of the war, which has mainly been fought in southern and eastern Lebanon. He could one day benefit from a water and sanitation project that is now in development. <\/p>\n Put into place by the FAO with Swiss co-financing, the project is designed to provide communities along the river with a safe and reliable supply of water. For Haddad, the timing is critical. \u201cWe must improve people\u2019s lives today while protecting resources for future generations,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Switzerland\u2019s water diplomacy<\/p>\n Competition over water resources can lead to conflict. Through international cooperation and mediation efforts, Switzerland\u2019s approach to water diplomacy aims to support peace and stability. Read more about the concept here.<\/a><\/p>\n Switzerland is also committed to improving water security as part ofExternal link<\/a> the UN\u2019s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In Lebanon, these efforts are meant to help stabilise a country repeatedly shaken by crisis.<\/p>\n Switzerland\u2019s involvement in Lebanon extends beyond the river project in Arqa. It supports local authorities in the Bekaa Valley in water management, and co-finances projects run by local partner organisations, many of which aim to support refugees and people affected by poverty.<\/p>\n In spring 2026, renewed instability in Lebanon raised doubts about how projects like these could continue in the months and years ahead. Asked about the situation, the Swiss embassy in Beirut said it had boosted funding for a UNICEF emergency water project at the end of March. The project provides clean water to internally displaced people.<\/p>\n Long-running humanitarian projects are built on stable and reliable planning. With the ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel repeatedly being violated, planning becomes increasingly difficult.<\/p>\n Another challenge is that Lebanese agriculture depends on seasonal workers, mostly from Syria. In recent months, mounting pressure from the Lebanese government has driven growing numbers of them out of the country.<\/p>\n >>Read more about Syrian refugees in Lebanon and why some are returning to Syria: <\/p>\n \n More<\/p>\n More <\/p>\n War & peace\n <\/p>\n Syrian refugees in Lebanon in dilemma over staying or returning\u00a0 <\/p>\n This content was published on <\/p>\n Nov 28, 2025 <\/p>\n After the fall of the Syrian regime, some refugees are returning home, while tens of thousands are once again taking flight.\u00a0 <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Read more: Syrian refugees in Lebanon in dilemma over staying or returning\u00a0 Humanitarian aid continues to shrink<\/p>\n Even before the latest ceasefire came into effect in April 2026, Lebanon\u2019s agriculture ministry estimated that 22% of the country\u2019s farmlandExternal link<\/a> had been damaged by the war. Livestock numbers have also fallen sharply, especially in the south and east. Updated figures have yet to be released.<\/p>\n![\"Farmer](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Ahmad_Hussain_Katlib.jpg\")
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