Non-contributory social protection through a child and equity lens in Lebanon
Non-contributory social protection through a child and equity lens in Lebanon
Lebanon is a middle-income country bordered by Syria and Israel, with an estimated population of 6 million people in 2016, of whom approximately 0.4 million are children under 5 years of age and 1.7 million are under 18. According to data from the 2011 Household Budgetary Survey, the national poverty rate in the country was 27 per cent, with remarkable regional disparities: 16 per cent in Beirut, but as high as 38 per cent in Bekaa and 36 per cent in North Lebanon.
Despite several initiatives, Lebanon’s main non-contributory social protection programme remains limited in scope and coverage, reaching less than 10 per cent of the population. Regarding the situation of children, low take-up rates of the school fee exemption indicates that there are barriers for accessing education other than the fees themselves, in which a broader flagship programme could play an enabling role. Indeed, the government has led efforts to institutionalise and scale up the NPTP, which should prove to be a unique opportunity to review its operational challenges and improve its child-sensitive features.