At the Government Palace (Grand Serail), Acting Prime Minister Najib Miqati, along with Acting Minister for Social Affairs Hector Hajjar and UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Najat Rochdi, requested $3.2 billion to provide critical assistance to the country’s vulnerable citizens .
The response plan brings together more than 126 partners with a goal of assisting 1.5 million Lebanese, 1.5 million Syrian refugees and more than 209,000 Palestinians, according to the UN’s official statement in Beirut.
As part of an integrated approach, aid has totaled $9 billion since 2015 to solve the difficulties faced by Lebanese host communities.
In 2021, the United Nations and its partners provided nearly 2.3 million subsidized medical consultations through primary health care centers.
In addition, the Lebanese economy welcomed the cash injection of $375 million to support Syrian, Lebanese and Palestinian families.
A total of 2.1 million people from these communities received assistance in response to growing food needs, a 45 percent increase compared to 2020.
To maintain economic and social stability, more than 119 communities received assistance to strengthen basic services by restoring infrastructure for livelihoods, education and agricultural land.
Minister Hajjar called on the international community to support Lebanon, its people and government, and the refugees in responding to urgent problems and to work together to overcome the obstacles that prevent them from returning safely to their homeland.
For her part, UN coordinator Najat Rochdi highlighted the partners’ joint efforts to support the country amid a crisis that is plunging nine out of 10 Syrians into poverty, while hardship mounts for Lebanese immigrants and Palestinians.
Rochdi stressed that in 2022, the devaluation of the national currency, high inflation, rising prices and loss of income would push four out of five Lebanese into poverty.
With that in mind, the government pledged to increase the number of families benefiting from regular cash assistance under the National Poverty Targeting Program from 36,000 to 75,000 to provide a sustainable, comprehensive and inclusive solution for its residents.
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