From 1975 to 1991, Lebanon experienced a civil war. This war not only caused civilian casualties and the destruction of its infrastructure, but also had long term effects on the social and family structure of Lebanese society. Ten years later, the consequences of war remain, and due to a severe recession the situation has deteriorated even further. As a result many people remain in a vulnerable situation.

Illicit drugs, mainly cannabis and poppy flower, were cultivated in the thirties in the Baalbeck - Hermel region (North-East Lebanon). After the beginning of the war in 1975, the area of illicit cultivations expanded, reaching its maximum production at the end of the eighties. These illicit cultivations were, until the beginning of the nineties, the region’s main source of income.

In 1991, the Lebanese government decided to eradicate all illicit cultivations. In order to ensure the permanence of this measure, a process of compensation for loss of income was set up jointly by the UNPD (United Nations Program for Development) and the UNPIDC (United Nations Programme for International Drug Control) under the patronage of the government.
The total eradication of illicit cultivations was completed in 1998. Nevertheless, because of the relative failure of the alternative development program, in 1999,
a number of farmers returned to cultivating hashish.