Results and impact
A notable achievement of the Basic Assistance Sector in Lebanon was the adoption of a harmonized, inter-agency approach to identify the economically-vulnerable refugee households. In September 2015, the formula used for assessing economic vulnerability was reviewed and recalibrated to reflect the evolving socio-economic situation of refugees. The revised formula was used to re-assess the situation of some 95,000 families who were profiled using the Household Profiling Questionnaire and found the following results: 28 per cent were found to be severely vulnerable, 32 per cent highly vulnerable, 26 per cent mildly vulnerable, and 14 per cent least vulnerable. A number of people previously categorized as “highly vulnerable” were falling under the “severely vulnerable” category, reflecting the visible deterioration of the refugees’ conditions. Thanks to funding received in the last quarter of 2015, UNHCR was able to provide multi-purpose cash to some 20,374 families by year-end, exceeding the target by nearly 25 per cent.
UNHCR provided seasonal cash assistance to some 73,000 families during the winter months (November 2014 to March 2015). Refugees have indicated through impact studies and monitoring activities that cash rather than in-kind assistance is the preferred means to address their additional expenditures during the cold season. Cash assistance, therefore, has become the primary component of UNHCR’s winter assistance programme for 2015-16, targeting over 161,000 families – more than doubling the original target. The cash assistance was complemented with in-kind items such as blankets, stoves and shelter rehabilitation kits. As of December 2015, UNHCR was able to reach some 145,065 families with cash and voucher support: some 137,002 families received cash assistance through ATM cards, and some 8,063 families (living in areas without ATMs) received fuel -vouchers.
Unmet needs
The Inter-agency Lebanese Crisis Response Plan for 2015 estimated that some 93,595 families were in need of multi-purpose cash grants on account of their increased vulnerability. By the end of 2015, UNHCR provided cash- based assistance to over 20,370 families, while the Lebanese Cash Consortium provided assistance to approximately 14,000 families and other NGOs reached some 2,500 families. In total by December 2015, some 35,966 families received regular multi-purpose cash assistance, leaving an estimated 57,000 vulnerable families without regular cash assistance due to the lack of resources. However, with the increased funding allocation for seasonal cash assistance, the majority of families received seasonal cash assistance.
The proportion of refugee households whose basic and household needs were met in 2015 reached 56 per cent, short of the targeted 70 per cent. This was due in part to the reduction of the number of people eligible for food assistance, as determined by WFP, which declined from 70 per cent to 60 per cent by year’s end. UNHCR targeted all individuals eligible for food assistance, as well as additional identified very vulnerable households, for seasonal, winter cash support.
In 2015, only 23 per cent of the intended target for the distribution of female sanitary materials was reached. Sanitary materials were included in hygiene kits, which were no longer distributed as part of a new arrival package but on an ad hoc basis. The Office is currently exploring options to determine the most effective way to ensure women have access to sanitary materials.
2015