Paper details

Paper authors	Maysa Ibrahim
In panel on	Humanitarian innovation, technology and cash assistance in Lebanon
Paper presenter(s) will be presenting	In-Person / Online

Abstract

The scale of the “refugee crisis” and the displacement of the Syrian population starting 2013 in Lebanon, in addition to the county’s weak economy and social services, had pushed the humanitarian actors to provide more practical and accessible financial support to refugees vulnerable host community in the country.

Since 2015 humanitarian actors are progressively using Tech-solutions for managing refugees, registration and validation, providing assistance, and monitor humanitarian programs.

Starting October 2019, and for nearly 2 years now, Lebanon has been affected by multiple complex crises; an economic and financial crisis, followed by COVID-19 and, the explosion at the Port of Beirut on August 4, 2020, and the absence of a government since July 2021. The huge limitations imposed by the central bank on cash transactions, the immense shortage of liquidity in Lebanon’s banking system, the dramatic inflation and volatility of exchange rate, and the increasing unfordable prices of basic items (food, fuel, medication) had all affected the ability of vulnerable Lebanese and refugee families to access basic needs and services. As a result, humanitarian actors in Lebanon are now investing in digitalizing Cash-Based Assistance and studying the feasibility of adopting cashless cash delivery mechanisms
Although Lebanon is one of the leading examples in the MENA region for the provision of humanitarian cash assistance, currently both humanitarian actors and affected communities are facing multiple obstacles and restrains which limit their access to digital devices, digital platforms, mobile networks, and the internet coverage.

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