1.The Lebanese Pound has lost 90 % of its value since October 2019, eroding people’s ability to access basic goods, including food, shelter, and healthcare. The Covid-19 pandemic compounded poverty and economic hardship
2.Due to the current crisis, 55% of the country’s population (approximately 2.7 million people) live below the upper poverty line and are struggling for basic necessities compared to 28% one year ago
3.Similarly, the rate of extreme poverty has tripled in the past year from 8% to 23% of the population
4.Banque Du Liban (BdL) has been subsidizing essential imports since November 2019, however when these subsidies are lifted it is estimated that the poverty rate will reach 70%-90%
5.Social safety programs are rare, fragmented and inconsistent
6.Many families are forced to go hundreds or thousands of dollars into debt to cover unexpected expenses like medical bills
7.Children in poor families are less likely to be able to complete their education. This can trap them in low-skill, high-demand job-markets
8.Poor workers are often trapped in high-turnover or seasonal jobs with low wages
9.Women (especially heads of households) are often the most impacted by poverty
10.Lebanon has the world’s highest number of refugees per capita. The country hosts 1.5 million Syrian refugees, more than 200,000 Palestinian refugees under UNRWA’s mandate, and 500,000 registered migrant workers from different nationalities, and many more undocumented workers
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