As displacement becomes more protracted crisis, refugees in Lebanon are living in difficult conditions and attending to their most essential needs is becoming more and more challenging.
The 2023 joint vulnerability assessment of Syrian refugees (VASyR) – a yearly assessment conducted by UNHCR, WFP and UNICEF highlights the hurdles Syrian refugees continue to face, with even the most basic needs being out of reach for most.
Eighty five percent of Syrian refugee families under the minimum expenditure basket (MEB) showing a high poverty rate and the need for humanitarian assistance to survive. In addition, about 42% of Syrian households are moderately or severely insecure, one of the most concerning findings of the 2023 VASyR.
Over the past years, UNHCR Lebanon has pioneered the provision of humanitarian assistance through ATM cards and money transfer operators. UNHCR uses cash-based interventions to provide protection, assistance and services to the most vulnerable. Cash gives refugees the power of choice and helps them meet a variety of pressing needs in dignity, including access to food, water, healthcare or shelter.
Beneficiaries use the cash assistance to purchase directly from local markets and shops, benefiting the local economy.
Cash assistance has been streamlined among different agencies through the Basic Assistance Working Group, including approaches to targeting and monitoring. UNHCR and partners undertook significant efforts to ensure the assistance is provided in an efficient and effective manner to the eligible population, including through two-way communication channels (SMS, hotlines, info desks) and the establishment of a call centre.
UNHCR and the World Food Programme (WFP) are facing significant funding reductions. In 2024, the two agencies are assisting 88,000 refugee families less than in 2023 with cash and food assistance, indicating a 32% net reduction in the number of beneficiaries.
Check our latest Cash Fact Sheet in English.