Context and WFP Response
UNHCR has registered over 1.1 million Syrians in Lebanon, representing the world’s highest per capita concentration of refugees compared to its population. It is an influx that is placing significant strain on existing resources and host communities.
As the Syria crisis continues, WFP - the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger - is increasingly relied upon to provide life-saving assistance to an extraordinary number of refugees.
However, massive regional funding gaps meant tough decisions were made to prioritise less assistance to the neediest refugee households. With sustained constraints, WFP will be unable to meet the basic food needs of those refugees.
In Lebanon, WFP provides assistance to vulnerable Syrian refugees and Palestinian refugees from Syria through e-cards and cash transfers. E-cards are the principal modality of assistance as local markets are capable of providing sufficient food. Additionally, they allow beneficiaries to choose preferred foods. Since 2013, WFP has injected USD 545 million directly into the local economy.
WFP provides technical assistance to the Ministry of Social Affairs through the National Poverty Targeting Programme (NPTP). Through it, vulnerable Lebanese receive USD 30 per person per month.
The 2015 multi-sectoral Vulnerability Assessment of Refugees (VASyR) in Lebanon shows a continued deterioration of the food security situation across Lebanon compared to 2014.
Specifically:
70% of households are below the poverty line (US$3.84/person/day),
52% are below the survival minimum expenditure basket,
61% are applying emergency and crisis coping strategies,
11% are food secure, and
23% are moderately food insecure.