Israeli attacks on Lebanon threaten food supplies and lead to long-term poverty, agriculture and aid organizations warn

Agriculture and aid groups warn that the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah could hit food supplies in Lebanon and Syria and plunge hundreds of thousands of people into long-term poverty.

Israel's bombing and ground operations against the militant group Hezbollah have forced it Residents of key agricultural areas in south and central Lebanon forced to flee.

This leaves farmers unsure of how much damage their land has suffered from bombing, fire and pollution.

The head of the southern Lebanon farmers' syndicate, Mohamad Al Husseini, said his region had produced many different crops that could now be lost.

“The south produces about 30 to 40 percent of Lebanon's olives and olive oil, the south produces 80 percent of bananas, about 70 percent of citrus fruits and to date about 70 percent of avocados and Asian fruits,” he said.

Mr Al Husseini says that thousands of Lebanese families depend on these farms and that the loss of these crops not only causes food to disappear from the market, but also drains money from the economy and drives up prices.

The repeated bombing by Israel of the main border crossing into Syria in Masnaa, which was allegedly used to transport weapons, has also made it impossible for farmers to export.

“We export all these products to Arab countries through Syria,” said Mr Al Husseini.

“The problem is that we cannot continue, we will not be able to export our surplus, we will have a depression in the market, prices will fall, farmers will not be able to sell like this “As you wish, we” will have a very big problem.

Farmers are also concerned about contamination – particularly from Israel's documented use of white phosphorus – and unexploded ordnance from the bombing.

Israel also bombed the main canal that carried water from the Litani River Irrigation Project, Lebanon's largest water source, to hundreds of farms.

Project manager Sami Alawiye said the irrigation infrastructure requires extensive repairs.

“Our facilities are of a civilian nature and are not used for military purposes. There is absolutely no reason to attack them,” he said.

“If the project is threatened, it threatens thousands of families, not only the families who work in the orchards, but also thousands who work in the distribution chain to get the products to the end consumer.

The Israeli military did not respond to the ABC's question about why it bombed the irrigation project.

Lebanon was already in economic and political crisis before Hezbollah began attacking Israel last year, sparking the current conflict.

World Food Program Lebanon director Matthew Hollingworth says 23 percent of Lebanese were already considered acutely food insecure before Israel intensified its bombing and began ground operations in September, leading to mass displacement.

“It is clear that since the beginning of this conflict or this escalation of this conflict on September 23, 1.3 million people have been affected, displaced and dispossessed in a very short period of time, losing their homes, their jobs and their livelihoods.” “We are alive in shelters or in host communities, so the situation is dire,” he said.

The World Food Program, other aid organizations and even private Lebanese companies have simply tried to feed people who have left or lost their homes.

Mr Hollingworth said the impact of the conflict would go far beyond the need for immediate aid – farms and livelihoods would be affected for some time.

“If you look at the peri-urban and rural areas in the south, there is no doubt that they are all extremely productive areas,” he said.

“Many people displaced from these areas due to the conflict will miss their harvest and production schedule, and this will have an impact on the future of the country.”