REPORT SUMMARY & KEY TAKEAWAYS:This report presents the baseline findings of the Food Security and Nutrition (FSN) assessment led by the Subul consortium1 and conducted across targeted 775 households across Lebanon in Bekaa, Akkar and Beirut Mount Lebanon with children under five (CU5) (n=905) and Pregnant (n=128) and breastfeeding women (PBWs) (n=78). The assessment provides a detailed understanding of household food consumption, coping strategies, dietary diversity, and nutritional status, offering critical insights into the depth of the current food security crisis and the urgent need for targeted interventions.KEY FINDINGS:HOUSEHOLD FOOD SECURITY (FCS and rCSI):• Dietary Adequacy: Only 33% of households achieved an acceptable Food Consumption Score (FCS > 42), while 34% and 33% of the remaining families fell within the poor and borderline FCS categories, respectively. This reflects limited access to diversified and nutrient-dense foods, which might put families at risk of inadequate nutrient intake, higher prevalence of malnutrition, and associated health problems. Geographic disparities were notable, with Bekaa (20%) and Akkar (33%) performing significantly worse than Beirut and Mount Lebanon (46%).• Coping Strategies: 18% of households were food secure and had a Reduced Coping Strategy Index (rCSI) below 192, whereas 82% fell into IPC level 3 and 4, employing moderate to severe negative coping mechanisms, such as reducing meal frequency or purchasing food on credit. This indicates a chronic erosion of household food resilience.• Food Sources: Across all food groups, households relied heavily on purchasing food from markets, often on credit, which exposes them to risks from income fluctuations and prices increases. While cereals, sugar, and oils were consumed almost daily, nutrient-rich foods (pulses, dairy, animalsource foods, fruits, and vegetables) were consumed infrequently (0–3 days per week), reflecting both economic constraints and declining diet quality. This pattern may lead to insufficient intake of essential macro- and micronutrients, increasing the risk of undernutrition, weakened immunity, poor growth and development among children, and greater susceptibility to dietrelated diseases among adults. Read More