Lebanon: Launch of the third tranche of the Social Safety Net Program worth $14.3 million

Beirut, Sept 2 (KUNA) -- Lebanon announced today the launch of the third tranche of the Shock-Responsive Social Safety Net Program, targeting approximately 426,000 people with a total value of $14.3 million. This was stated in a media statement by Lebanese Minister of Social Affairs Haneen al-Sayyid, following a visit she made with Lebanese Minister of Agriculture Nizar Hani, accompanied by the Dutch Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, Shurd Shurdzema, in the city of Nabatieh. The visit was part of efforts to monitor conditions in the south, assess the needs of residents, and support the process of return and recovery.

Al-Sayyid emphasized the importance of the partnership with the Netherlands in supporting social protection and strengthening national institutions. She stated that “the next phase requires linking emergency response with recovery and directing international support to enhance the state’s and its institutions’ capacity to meet citizens’ needs.”

She explained that the program began during the war with a first tranche that benefited more than 200,000 families, followed by a second tranche for approximately 130,000 families. Today, the ministry is launching the third tranche for another 130,000 families.

She noted that cash assistance constitutes a fundamental part of the social response, “but it cannot replace reconstruction, the restoration of services, and job opportunities.” She added that the return of families to the south “is not complete with security alone; it requires services, social protection, housing, and opportunities that enable them to return and remain in their land with dignity.”

Ministers al-Sayyid and Hani, along with the Dutch minister, held a meeting at the Shqif Municipalities Union in Nabatieh with several mayors from the area. The meeting addressed the main challenges facing affected villages and towns, particularly those related to housing and shelter, the restoration of basic services, support for displaced and returning families, and the needs of municipalities and local entities in the early recovery phase. (End) A.Y.B. / S.M.A.