![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/FPN33E6BTLHRQSFRBLDWVPFLJM.jpg?smart=true&auth=36db269b479b5b6c77445dd241e604b5f2229b8783ee4042d688851628f610f2&width=400&height=225)
The Beirut port explosion in August 2020 destroyed the country’s grain silos and with it most of Lebanon’s wheat reserves. Reuters
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/LXW4GMFO43NUWLCGBIRW6DILSE.jpg?smart=true&auth=aba475effa3da7fe852569121583a48055099542d7bd14423ee4c34283b56ffc&width=400&height=225)
People queue outside a closed bakery, waiting for it to open, in Chiyah, Lebanon. Reuters
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/KQZPTWLF3MGQN3XLORLMZRDVAM.jpg?smart=true&auth=83c6655f63fc261c131743214b0eefc0aedeca3468b8489ac17002ecc6f98517&width=400&height=225)
Another queue at a bakery in Khaldeh. The Lebanese Parliament has approved a $150m World Bank loan for wheat imports to address shortages in the country. Reuters
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/Z64A4T6OMXKIYYP7YYWOAGTSJA.jpg?smart=true&auth=37b8a1260fb06f8b5a75b00160bfd43a517800c14f744ef202ac424c62f1c7ec&width=400&height=225)
The loan will finance wheat imports for at least six months, alleviating acute bread shortages. Reuters
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/M6OFHYPWQQJYWJWGOCFAZXIJY4.jpg?smart=true&auth=7a609dcd54e20f764260988e49c9868a97637432f7d75d414c568571cefa8b5d&width=400&height=225)
Lebanon has suffered from chronic scarcity of wheat and flour since its economic crisis began in 2019. Reuters
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/KUBECEJJWASO3KW465N4N7NV3Y.jpg?smart=true&auth=8a56a173fdc0f5200d3811fcc7113380bfa61f6b50c93459ea0412aabfbb1bf9&width=400&height=225)
A man holds stacks of bread as he makes his way through a crowd of people queuing for bread outside a bakery in Beirut. Reuters
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/ELX5A72FDRQLFVJ6P6ALLY27ZM.jpg?smart=true&auth=4f324df7cba3733add827baa672aebd43fcda6633a78adfd1ceacec901a681af&width=400&height=225)
Subsidised Arabic bread consumed in most Lebanese households has become scarce. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/LNCAD4JFGKPBMQSQAJ432Z7SWE.jpg?smart=true&auth=fd72e073d0e045a7fd8654e60242854968be9fcd202a1408b05bd4f35aa2770e&width=400&height=225)
About 22 per cent of Lebanese households are food insecure, according to the World Food Programme, with that number likely to rise. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/VQGCOMLXSNCMZ6UFDINIXPRTGU.jpg?smart=true&auth=c3de287d08572bb6d7e78a61cdfa32f52f008f6adee2c792666802a06327a2c6&width=400&height=225)
Soaring inflation, paired with a plunge in the value of the local currency, has badly affected the purchasing power of Lebanon's citizens. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/ZYK4PFQZID65F72OZI5EVRSUI4.jpg?smart=true&auth=272f43d87f10638099781fc64e7f726862d51dcb57ef6707825afe6b695827ac&width=400&height=225)
Long early-morning queues often form in front of bakeries and shops as customers race to purchase limited quantities of subsidised bread. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/EESAGEBT3X437SNVE4SER44CJQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=6398970025ed52b9d733712ee1d0a419023af7ddb2e16b3d6df8208a7c09fafd&width=400&height=225)
The limited availability of bread has caused tensions to frequently boil over in queues. Two people were wounded in Tripoli in mid-July after a gunfight over who was ahead in a bread queue. AP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/LMBU43BZGTR2XYLI3WSVCSMCVI.jpg?smart=true&auth=6469bf196fd5c294965bc5504a84595c2b9b8330d2cb59ea3c33dac7a0323190&width=400&height=225)
A woman uses a sickle to harvest wheat at a field in Houla village, near the border with Israel, southern Lebanon. Reuters
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/74BAWOQGV7GERY7RLE4VPNZCSU.jpg?smart=true&auth=2ac3eb6842778399ac4f95a2168f1c70713feb67ebd263ab9fe7b2afd05df24c&width=400&height=225)
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February has also been detrimental, with the war there hindering the country’s ability to export wheat. About 80 per cent of Lebanon’s wheat came from Ukraine prior to the invasion. Reuters
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/FPN33E6BTLHRQSFRBLDWVPFLJM.jpg?smart=true&auth=36db269b479b5b6c77445dd241e604b5f2229b8783ee4042d688851628f610f2&width=400&height=225)
The Beirut port explosion in August 2020 destroyed the country’s grain silos and with it most of Lebanon’s wheat reserves. Reuters
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/LXW4GMFO43NUWLCGBIRW6DILSE.jpg?smart=true&auth=aba475effa3da7fe852569121583a48055099542d7bd14423ee4c34283b56ffc&width=400&height=225)
People queue outside a closed bakery, waiting for it to open, in Chiyah, Lebanon. Reuters
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/KQZPTWLF3MGQN3XLORLMZRDVAM.jpg?smart=true&auth=83c6655f63fc261c131743214b0eefc0aedeca3468b8489ac17002ecc6f98517&width=400&height=225)
Another queue at a bakery in Khaldeh. The Lebanese Parliament has approved a $150m World Bank loan for wheat imports to address shortages in the country. Reuters
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/Z64A4T6OMXKIYYP7YYWOAGTSJA.jpg?smart=true&auth=37b8a1260fb06f8b5a75b00160bfd43a517800c14f744ef202ac424c62f1c7ec&width=400&height=225)
The loan will finance wheat imports for at least six months, alleviating acute bread shortages. Reuters
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/M6OFHYPWQQJYWJWGOCFAZXIJY4.jpg?smart=true&auth=7a609dcd54e20f764260988e49c9868a97637432f7d75d414c568571cefa8b5d&width=400&height=225)
Lebanon has suffered from chronic scarcity of wheat and flour since its economic crisis began in 2019. Reuters
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/KUBECEJJWASO3KW465N4N7NV3Y.jpg?smart=true&auth=8a56a173fdc0f5200d3811fcc7113380bfa61f6b50c93459ea0412aabfbb1bf9&width=400&height=225)
A man holds stacks of bread as he makes his way through a crowd of people queuing for bread outside a bakery in Beirut. Reuters
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/ELX5A72FDRQLFVJ6P6ALLY27ZM.jpg?smart=true&auth=4f324df7cba3733add827baa672aebd43fcda6633a78adfd1ceacec901a681af&width=400&height=225)
Subsidised Arabic bread consumed in most Lebanese households has become scarce. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/LNCAD4JFGKPBMQSQAJ432Z7SWE.jpg?smart=true&auth=fd72e073d0e045a7fd8654e60242854968be9fcd202a1408b05bd4f35aa2770e&width=400&height=225)
About 22 per cent of Lebanese households are food insecure, according to the World Food Programme, with that number likely to rise. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/VQGCOMLXSNCMZ6UFDINIXPRTGU.jpg?smart=true&auth=c3de287d08572bb6d7e78a61cdfa32f52f008f6adee2c792666802a06327a2c6&width=400&height=225)
Soaring inflation, paired with a plunge in the value of the local currency, has badly affected the purchasing power of Lebanon's citizens. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/ZYK4PFQZID65F72OZI5EVRSUI4.jpg?smart=true&auth=272f43d87f10638099781fc64e7f726862d51dcb57ef6707825afe6b695827ac&width=400&height=225)
Long early-morning queues often form in front of bakeries and shops as customers race to purchase limited quantities of subsidised bread. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/EESAGEBT3X437SNVE4SER44CJQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=6398970025ed52b9d733712ee1d0a419023af7ddb2e16b3d6df8208a7c09fafd&width=400&height=225)
The limited availability of bread has caused tensions to frequently boil over in queues. Two people were wounded in Tripoli in mid-July after a gunfight over who was ahead in a bread queue. AP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/LMBU43BZGTR2XYLI3WSVCSMCVI.jpg?smart=true&auth=6469bf196fd5c294965bc5504a84595c2b9b8330d2cb59ea3c33dac7a0323190&width=400&height=225)
A woman uses a sickle to harvest wheat at a field in Houla village, near the border with Israel, southern Lebanon. Reuters
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/74BAWOQGV7GERY7RLE4VPNZCSU.jpg?smart=true&auth=2ac3eb6842778399ac4f95a2168f1c70713feb67ebd263ab9fe7b2afd05df24c&width=400&height=225)
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February has also been detrimental, with the war there hindering the country’s ability to export wheat. About 80 per cent of Lebanon’s wheat came from Ukraine prior to the invasion. Reuters
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/FPN33E6BTLHRQSFRBLDWVPFLJM.jpg?smart=true&auth=36db269b479b5b6c77445dd241e604b5f2229b8783ee4042d688851628f610f2&width=400&height=225)
The Beirut port explosion in August 2020 destroyed the country’s grain silos and with it most of Lebanon’s wheat reserves. Reuters