Nour El Houda Amhez

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PhD topic:

Food security of Bedouins in the face of the multi-layered crisis in Lebanon: impact of socio-economic variables, livestock husbandry and socio-political status

Summary:
Bedouin communities in Lebanon are among the country's least documented and most marginalized populations, while at the same time facing profound economic, political, and environmental pressures. In recent years, the multi-layered crisis in Lebanon has further intensified existing vulnerabilities by affecting livelihoods, access to resources, and the capacity of households to secure sufficient and nutritious food. For settled Bedouin households in particular, food security is shaped not only by income and market access, but also by livestock ownership, changing pastoral practices, land access, and broader socio-political constraints.

This PhD project examines how socio-economic conditions, livestock husbandry, and socio-political status influence the food security of Bedouin households in Lebanon. The research focuses on settled Bedouin tribes in the Bekaa, Baalback, and Akkar regions and combines household-level data on demographics, livelihoods, income, debt, crop farming, and livestock keeping with a broader analysis of the structural challenges affecting these communities. Particular attention is given to the role of livestock as both a livelihood activity and a potential buffer against food insecurity, as well as to the ways in which marginalization, limited access to land and services, and ongoing instability shape household vulnerability.

The study also places the Lebanese case in a wider regional and global context through a systematic review of food security among pastoral and agropastoral communities, particularly in the Levant and East Africa. By linking empirical evidence from Lebanon with broader debates on pastoralism, settlement, livelihood transformation, and food security measurement, the project aims to contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of food security in marginalized pastoral communities.

The findings are expected to provide important insights for researchers, development practitioners, and policymakers by identifying key drivers of vulnerability and resilience among Bedouin households in Lebanon. More broadly, the project seeks to contribute to discussions on how livelihoods, livestock systems, and socio-political exclusion interact in shaping food security under conditions of crisis.

Languages: English, Arabic, German (A2 level)

Short portrait:

• 2023- present: University of Kassel (UK), PhD. In Agricultural Sciences
• 2017-2019: American University of Beirut (AUB), M.Sc. in Food Security
• 2012-2017: Lebanese American University (LAU), School of Arts and Sciences, B.Sc. in Nutrition and Dietetics