Study conducted by Nupur Kukrety, Independent Consultant , Oxfam GB and Issam Fares Institute of American University Beirut
1. Introduction
After gaining independence in 1943, Lebanon saw a brief period of economic prosperity spurred by the agriculture and tourism sectors. However, the civil war from 1975 – 1990 further polarised the society along religious lines and hampered development , creating a significant mass of `have - nots’. The internal political situation since the early 2000’s and external conflicts in neighbouring countries, i.e. Syria and Israel , compounded the problem further in recent years. An assessment by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in 2013 indicated that ‘economic growth has declined from around 8 per cent per annum over the period 2007 – 2010 to three percent in 2011 to two percent in 2012. A 2014 review conducted by REACH for the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs ( UNOCHA ) indicate d that the Syrian conflict has had a direct impact on the tourism, real estate and banking sectors in Lebanon. This has indirectly lowered economic activity in the country and has further acc elerated the downward trend in economic growth with the projections in 2014 being 1.5 percent.
Being a middle - income country in the Middle East region, poverty in Lebanon has largely remained hidden. Few efforts have been made t o date to assess the poverty situation in the country. The most recent nationwide survey , the Living Conditions and Household Budget Survey , was conducted by the Government of Lebanon (GoL) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) almost a decade ago in 2004-05, and it continues to be used by policy makers to design poverty reduction policies and programmes. The context in Lebanon has changed significantly since then , with the global economic crisis of 2008, the Syria crisis and the ongoing internal political stalemate. Since 2011 the influx of refugees from Syria into Lebanon has gradually brought the issue of Lebanese poverty into sharp focus in public discourse , resulting in some short - t erm poverty reduction measures by the government.
1.1. Purpose of the study
In recognition of the importance of responding to the concerns of the poor Lebanese households alongside those of Syrian and Palestinian populations, Oxfam believes in the importance of investing in understanding poverty in Lebanon for both host and refugee populations , and the policies and programmes designed and implemented by the government to address it. This research is an effort to gain a better insight into the lives and struggles of the poor in Lebanon; the formal and informal support mechanisms accessed by them for their survival and to recommend programmatic and policy initiatives for Oxfam in Lebanon. The scope of this study is at the core of the 2 aims of the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beir ut. It is expected that studying social protection policies will help policy makers design better, more responsive social protection and poverty alleviation policies.
1.2 Research questions
This research is designed as a qualitative study that aims to provide an insight into the lives of poor households through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions (Annex 2) around the following research questions:
a) How is poverty defined by key stakeholders in Lebanon? I .e. who are considered poor by key stakeholder s?
b) How do the poor survive?
c) What are the vulnerabilities faced by the poor in rural and urban areas?
d) What formal policies and programmes address poverty and inequality in Lebanon?
e) What are the informal support mechanisms that support the needy and their ro le in addressing inequality?
f) Do poor women and men have access to the formal and informal support mechanisms? What are the challenges faced