The Order of Malta Lebanon (OML), with the support of the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, is preparing to launch a food aid project, an initiative which aims to respond to the urgent needs arising from the successive crises that are occurring in Lebanon, which has seriously exacerbated food insecurity and malnutrition in the country.
This agreement was jointly signed by His Excellency Mr. Hervé Magro, French Ambassador to Lebanon, and Mr. Marwan Sehnaoui, President of the Lebanese Association of Knights of Malta, in the presence of Mr. Henry Simonin, political advisor of the French Embassy, and François Abisaab, charge d’affaires of the embassy of the Sovereign Order of Malta in Lebanon.
This project, which will begin in September 2024 for a period of sixteen months, aims, through a holistic approach, to address the causes and consequences of malnutrition and food insecurity in Lebanon, while strengthening the capacity of affected communities to face future crises.
This project will target a wide range of the population, with more than 15,420 direct services beneficiaries and 19,240 indirect beneficiaries.
This initiative will extend to all regions of Lebanon, with particular emphasis on the areas most affected by the crisis, notably the North, Bekaa, Beirut, Mount Lebanon and the South, based on three main areas of intervention:
Food aid: distribution of hot meals, breakfasts and snacks through the three mobile community kitchens (the Sharing Wheel) of OML in schools and disadvantaged areas in the North, South, Beirut, Mount Lebanon and Bekaa, targeting vulnerable people and providing school meals in public and semi-private schools.
The fight against malnutrition: awareness sessions related to nutrition will be carried out through the OML network, with distributions of nutrition kits and specialized kits, accompanied by a screening service, medical and nutritional monitoring for pregnant or breastfeeding women as well as children aged 1,000 days and above.
Support for local agriculture: the project will also focus on supporting small farmers in the most affected communities, by distributing agroecological kits to them, providing them with regular technical support and offering them training sessions. This component also aims to support five municipalities in watershed management through agroforestry initiatives, thus contributing to environmental protection and long-term food security.
Ambassador Hervé Magro underlined the importance of this project, implemented in conjunction with the national strategies of the related ministries, to enable the most vulnerable to have a dignified life during this period of successive crises and to guarantee them a better autonomy.
Mr. Marwan Sehnaoui, for his part, expressed his gratitude for France’s support through this project which comes at a time of great uncertainty for the country, and which brings its share of hope to the population throughout the Lebanese territory, in these increasingly difficult times.
This collaboration between OML and France reflects the crucial importance of a humanitarian response in Lebanon that also lays the foundations for sustainable development and resilience in the face of future crises.
