BEIRUT, Lebanon – The government of Lebanon, through the Ministry of Social Affairs (MoSA), and the World Food Programme (WFP) have activated an emergency cash assistance program for conflict-affected families and are scaling up food assistance as mass displacement across the country grows.
The first round of cash assistance will support nearly 50,000 conflict-affected families — approximately 183,000 people — to help them cover their most urgent needs. Households affected by the crisis who are not yet registered in existing assistance systems will be able to submit their information through a government-led registration platform, with the link to be shared shortly through official channels.
The system, already in place within the government and strengthened with WFP’s technical support, allows assistance to reach vulnerable households quickly during times of crisis. The activation of cash assistance is in response to escalating hostilities in Lebanon and will allow families to meet their immediate food needs as they find safety.
Even before the latest escalation, Lebanon was grappling with years of compounding crises, including economic collapse and the lingering impacts of previous conflict. According to the latest food security analysis, 874,000 people were already facing acute food insecurity – a number that was projected to increase — leaving many families highly vulnerable to new shocks.
Alongside the activation of emergency cash assistance, WFP has been responding to the growing displacement. Within hours of shelters opening, WFP began providing hot meals, ready-to-eat meals and bread, reaching 40,000 people since the escalation started on Monday, in coordination with national authorities and humanitarian partners.
“The latest escalation is unfolding in a context where many families were already living one shock away from deeper hardship,” said Anne Valand, WFP representative and acting country director in Lebanon. “By activating the national social safety net alongside immediate food assistance, we can support families quickly and help them meet their most urgent needs during this difficult time.”
The emergency cash assistance will be delivered through the government’s existing Shock-Responsive Social Safety Net (SRSN), enabling rapid support to households affected by the escalation.
“With needs rising rapidly and displacement expanding across Lebanon, our priority is to ensure families can meet their most urgent basic needs with speed and dignity. Through the Ministry of Social Affairs, we have activated the government’s shock-responsive safety net to deliver emergency cash assistance to war-affected households, in close coordination with WFP and national response authorities. This is a government-led response, designed to reach people quickly, transparently, and at scale,” said H.E. Dr. Haneen el Sayyed, minister of social affairs in Lebanon.
WFP continues to coordinate closely with the government of Lebanon, including the Ministry of Social Affairs and national disaster response authorities to support families affected by the escalation.
WFP has also pre-positioned food stocks in the country and remains ready to scale up assistance as humanitarian needs evolve.
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The World Food Programme is the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and the world’s leading humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate extremes.
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Originally posted on wfp.org
