Highlights
• In September, WFP supported 671,211 Syrian refugees and 16,375 Palestinian refugees from Syria with basic food assistance. Additionally, 52,403 vulnerable Lebanese were assisted through the National Poverty Targeting Programme.
• Building on the BCG cash pilot study conducted in 2016, the WFP Lebanon extended the pilot of unrestricted cash in September. As a result, 170,000 Syrian refugees are now able to redeem their USD 27/person assistance at any ATM or WFP contracted shop throughout Lebanon.
Cash-based Assistance
• Building on the cash pilot study conducted by the Boston Consulting Group in 2016, WFP began implementing unrestricted cash for a portion of the 680,000 assisted Syrian Refugees in September. Around 170,000 Syrian refugees received unrestricted cash transfers. Targeted households have the flexibility to redeem their entitlements in WFP-contracted shops, or to directly withdraw cash from any ATM, or a combination of both.
Vulnerability Assessment of Syrian Refugees
• The results of the 2017 Vulnerability Assessment of Syrian Refugees in Lebanon indicate that food insecurity rates remains stable from 2016, with 91 percent of Syrian refugee households presenting some level of food insecurity, compared with 93 percent in 2016. Household debt remains extremely high, as households depend on credit and borrowing to meet their basic needs. At least 28 percent of households also reported that WFP assistance was their main source of income, and 40 percent reported that WFP assistance is one of their top three sources.