Lebanon

Countries in the Arab region host a large share of the global migrant worker population. Estimating the exact size of this population is an arduous task, given the increasing complexity of migration flows and the high prevalence of refugees and workers with an irregular immigration status.

As humanitarian crises break down traditional protection mechanisms and the loss of income restricts access to basic resources, children become increasingly vulnerable to abuse, neglect, exploitation, and violence. Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) is a critical modality that is increasingly being adopted to support the prevention and response to child protection (CP) risks. While the evidence base for assessing the benefits, impacts and risks of CVA in humanitarian contexts is mounting, it is growing faster in some sectors than others, such as protection.

In an effort to increase global knowledge and learning, Save the Children conducted a global review of twenty Country Offices and their programmes in order to assess and highlight the impact that different forms of Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) have on Child Protection (CP) outcomes, to identify evidence gaps and document best programmatic practices. This follows and uses the same methodology as the 2021 Evidence Report.

This second edition of the Annual Digest of Social Protection Reforms in the Arab Countries serves as a comprehensive – albeit not exhaustive – record of the remarkable efforts made by the region’s governments throughout the year 2023. In this context it is encouraging to observe that while the overall number of recorded reforms is nearly unchanged, 2023 was marked by a larger share of comprehensive structural reforms compared to 2022.

This book aims to examine the potential for expanding social protection to include the most vulnerable and marginalized groups across four Arab countries of study: Jordan, Tunisia, Lebanon, and Egypt. The book operates on the premise that social protection is an inherent human right that should be accessible to all individuals throughout their lives.

Since late 2019, Lebanon has been grappling with a severe economic and financial crisis. The Lebanese lira has lost more than 98% of its value, and over half of the Lebanese population is estimated to be living in poverty. The Government of Lebanon and development and humanitarian agencies have scaled up their cash response and increased the reach of social safety nets to alleviate suffering. Humanitarian agencies have also stepped in to assist those who fall through the cracks of the government safety nets with multi-purpose cash assistance.

Multi-Purpose Cash grant (MPC) is a pivotal instrument of the humanitarian response plan in Lebanon both in terms of coverage and financial volume. About 60% of the Syrian refugees in Lebanon receive MPC assistance. Maximising the impact of MPC can therefore have important and at scale effects for the well-being of Syrian refugees. “Cash Plus” is an avenue to boost the outcomes of MPC by addressing non-financial and structural barriers to need coverage.