Executive Summary
Since 2019, Lebanon has faced a series of overlapping crises, including economic collapse, the COVID-19
pandemic, the Beirut Port explosion, and the 2024 Israeli war, that have severely strained its already
fragmented and under-resourced social protection system. In this context, social assistance programmes
such as the National Poverty Targeting Programme (NPTP), and the Emergency Social Safety Net (ESSN),
now integrated under AMAN, serve as critical lifelines for vulnerable populations. However, these
programmes continue to face persistent challenges in design, targeting, and implementation, compounded
by heavy reliance on external funding (Bastagli et al., 2019; Al Shami, 2023).
This study explores the lived experiences and perceptions of Lebanon’s “bottom poor”—those identified
through multidimensional poverty scoring—as they navigate social assistance systems. Using a mixed
methods approach, the research combines quantitative modelling from the 2023 Multi-Sectoral Needs
Assessment (MSNA), with qualitative data from in-depth interviews (IDIs), focus group discussions
(FGDs), and key informant interviews (KIIs). The aim is to understand how social assistance is accessed,
experienced, and perceived by those most in need, and to identify barriers, inequities, and opportunities for
improvement.
Key findings reveal that:
- Multiple and overlapping crises have repeatedly disrupted social assistance, leaving vulnerable households without support when they needed it most.
- Access to information about aid programmes is inconsistent; while some beneficiaries receive updates via SMS or local offices, many rely on informal networks.
- Barriers to access, including digital illiteracy, lack of internet, high transportation costs, and limited payment points, exclude the most vulnerable, especially older persons, women, and those in remote areas (Mercy Corps, 2023; Siren Analytics, 2024).
- Feedback and grievance mechanisms are weak; many applicants receive no response or explanation for rejection or discontinuation, fuelling frustration and mistrust.
- A heavy emotional and psychological toll are experienced during the process of seeking aid, with participants reporting feelings of humiliation, anxiety, and social stigma.
- Perceived inequities in aid distribution, especially between Lebanese citizens and Syrian refugees, have led to resentment, as well as a sense of exclusion among Lebanese beneficiaries (Carpi, 2014; Saade et al., 2024).
- Women, particularly female heads of household, face compounded challenges, including procedural barriers, caregiving burdens, and social stigma.
- Political and social networks facilitate access to aid but also reinforce perceptions of unfairness and politicisation (Cammett, 2011; Cammett & Issar, 2010).
- Most beneficiaries remain dependent on aid, with limited opportunities to transition to sustainable livelihoods.
The report concludes with nine recommendations aimed at improving the inclusiveness, transparency,
and responsiveness of social assistance programmes in Lebanon. This includes enhancing data integration
and coordination, improving targeting fairness, strengthening monitoring and feedback mechanisms, and
linking assistance to sustainable livelihood pathways. The study also advocates for long-term structural
reform, including the adoption of progressive taxation, the establishment of a unified social registry,
and a shift from poverty-targeting to a rights-based, lifecycle approach to social protection (Atallah et
al., 2022; Bastagli et al., 2019).
