War and drought push Lebanon agriculture to breaking point

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. AFP

War, economic collapse and declining rainfall are pushing Lebanon’s agricultural sector to the brink. Even water projects backed by Switzerland are struggling to cope.

Lebanon’s 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’ IPC hunger scaleExternal link. The war between Hezbollah and Israel has uprooted an estimated one million people inside the country, while hundreds of thousands have fled to Syria.

This displacement is hitting a country already in crisis. Lebanon’s 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.

In Akkar, in northern Lebanon, one of the country’s 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.

“The water situation is very bad,” 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. “Fortunately, I have a well. Not everyone does. But groundwater will not last forever,” he added.

In villages such as Arqa, water distribution is traditionally overseen by a municipal appointee known as a “shawish”. When water is scarce, rumours of corruption or mismanagement often spread. “But this year there was not even enough rain for him to swindle us,” Katlib says with a weary laugh.

War deepens the strain on agriculture

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.

The farmer Ahmad Hussain Katlib in his greenhouse. Giannis Mavris / SWI swissinfo.ch

“Lebanon has a valuable opportunity to transform its water sector,” says Nora Ourabah Haddad, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) representative in Lebanon. “This means strengthening institutions, enforcing regulations, investing in infrastructure and innovation, and connecting water, energy and food systems more closely.” Despite the challenges, she believes sustainable development is still possible.

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.

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. “We must improve people’s lives today while protecting resources for future generations,” she said.

Switzerland’s water diplomacy

Competition over water resources can lead to conflict. Through international cooperation and mediation efforts, Switzerland’s approach to water diplomacy aims to support peace and stability. Read more about the concept here.

Switzerland is also committed to improving water security as part ofExternal link the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In Lebanon, these efforts are meant to help stabilise a country repeatedly shaken by crisis.

Switzerland’s 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.

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.

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.

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.

>>Read more about Syrian refugees in Lebanon and why some are returning to Syria:

Humanitarian aid continues to shrink

Even before the latest ceasefire came into effect in April 2026, Lebanon’s agriculture ministry estimated that 22% of the country’s farmlandExternal link 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.

In March, Switzerland pledged CHF7.5 million ($9.6 million) in humanitarian aid for Lebanon, Syria and Iran. Aid agencies are facing mounting financial pressure. The FAO says it needs around $19 million (CHF14.8 million) in emergency assistance for Lebanon alone, even as its wider budget continues to shrink. In January 2026, the United States withdrew its $300 million (CHF235 million) contribution. It was 14% of the organisation’s total budget.

Edited by Benjamin von Wyl. Adapted from German by David Kelso Kaufher/sb