Critical Lifesaving Emergency Assistance and Relief (CLEAR)

Since the outbreak of the civil war in Syria in 2011, Lebanon has hosted the highest number of displaced per capita in the world and further suffers the devastating impact of unprecedented economic, political, social, and health crises of the recent years. In October 2019, a profound political and economic crisis erupted. The explosion in the port of Beirut in August 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic worsened the already dire economic landscape and led to surging poverty rates. Testament to the continued atrophy of Lebanon’s economy, the Lebanese Pound (LBP) continues to depreciate and drive surging inflation, in triple digits since July 2020, impacting the poor and vulnerable the most.

The most recent escalation of conflict in the Middle East, starting on October 6th 2023 has even further deteriorated the country’s and the population’s economic situation. The ongoing crisis in Lebanon is dynamic and complex, causing significant challenges to the country’s structural stability and undoing previous development progress. Particularly vulnerable host and refugee populations have been deeply affected by a sharp increase in socioeconomic needs, gaps in critical supply chains, and limited access to food, healthcare, education, and other basic services. The lack of electricity, fuel shortages, and insufficient access to safe drinking water compound to an ever-worsening everyday life for the vast majority of Lebanon’s population.

The project CLEAR aims to improve the well-being of vulnerable communities by addressing vulnerable households’ basic needs and health needs. CLEAR aims to contribute to improving the living conditions, and resilience of vulnerable Syrian refugees and the Lebanese host community by providing assistance through MPCA for basic needs and health services. The project also contributes financially to the rehabilitation of a social and primary health care centre that was severely damaged during the recent war in southern Lebanon, enabling it to resume serving the local communities.

Unrestricted, unconditional cash will be provided to vulnerable HHs unable to meet their basic needs. The cash modality is increasingly being used globally due to its numerous advantages such as giving recipients the dignity of choice, as well as economic benefits such as the multiplier effect. In the context of Lebanon, where prices for basic commodities have soared and the currency is continuing to lose value while at the same time salaries have remained stagnant, multipurpose cash assistance (MPCA) is an effective modality that ensures recipients can meet their basic needs. Furthermore, as health needs in the country are extremely high and almost all health indicators are worsening, additional cash for health will be granted to people with specific health needs in the forms of covering in-patient treatment fees and treatment subsidies.

The project is situated in the thematic area of humanitarian assistance and has been designed based on learnings from previous basic needs interventions in Lebanon and Syria. The project also mainstreams capacity building efforts for national implementing partners in line with Caritas Switzerland’s localisation commitments.