Poverty in Lebanon more than tripled -World Bank

Poverty in Lebanon has more than tripled over a decade, with people living below the poverty line up from 12 per cent in 2012 to 44 per cent in 2022.

A World Bank report said on Thursday.

The report, dubbed “Lebanon Poverty and Equity Assessment 2024: Weathering a Protracted Crisis,” said that one out of every three Lebanese in Beirut, Akkar, Bekaa, north Lebanon, and Mount Lebanon was affected by poverty in 2022.

While the report emphasizes on the need to strengthen social safety networks and create jobs to alleviate poverty.

The report, which covers Lebanese and Syrians in the country, said that Lebanon’s financial crisis forced many households to cut back on food consumption and reduce health expenditures.

It noted that poverty is distributed unevenly in the country. Almost nine out of every 10 Syrians were under the poverty line in 2022, while 45 per cent of poor Syrian families have less than acceptable food consumption scores.

“Lebanon’s ongoing crisis raises the urgency to better track the evolving nature of households’ well-being in order to develop and adopt the appropriate policies,” said Jean-Christophe Carret, World Bank Middle East country director.

The report “highlights the critical need to improve targeting the poor and expand the coverage and depth of social assistance programs to ensure needy households’ access to essential resources including food, healthcare, and education,’’ he added