Lebanon is on the verge of collapse. It has been experiencing an unprecedented financial, economic and social crisis for years, with sectarian and social tensions mounting while the economy crumbles.
With the Lebanese lira devalued by over 800%, inflation exceeding 140% and unemployment at over 50%, food prices have risen by 290.4%, while public transport costs are 290.5% higher than the previous year (Lebanese Central Administration of Statistics).
Against this backdrop, electricity is only available for 2 hours a day, transport fuel is scarce, as are medicines and many of the basic necessities.
The Covid-19 pandemic and the explosion at the port of Beirut in August 2020 have further aggravated conditions for the already impoverished middle class and the most vulnerable families who are barely able to survive.
The poverty rate is estimated to have more than doubled (now over 55%) between 2019 and 2020. The percentage of those considered extremely poor has tripled to over 23%, with over 841,000 Lebanese below the poverty line.
Having financial means for survival, education and access to basic healthcare has become a luxury for a large part of the population.
It is against this backdrop that Humanité Nouvelle Liban, AMU’s local partner, and the Latin Vicariate have committed to an intervention programme that will provide food and basic hygiene products to 900 families for a year, psychological support to some of those families and teaching materials to a school that takes in pupils for free who can’t afford the education fees.
- the preparation and distribution of boxes containing food and hygiene products for families 6 times a year (once every two months for a year):
more specifically
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- Humanité Nouvelle will take care of 490 families
- The vicariate will take care of 410 families from various parishes
- psychological support for 50 families in difficulty selected by Humanité Nouvelle
- school supply kits for 250 pupils at the “Franciscan Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary” school.