Household Economy Analysis: Akkar and Baalbek

Save the Children International (SCI), together with Inma Consortium partners (Akkarouna, Plan International and the Lebanese Organization of Studies and Training) and funded by the European Union, conducted Household Economy Analysis (HEA) baselines in early 2021 in Akkar and Baalbek governorates.

We have found that poor and upper poor families in these governorates show a Livelihood Protection deficit – that is, the inability to meet the basic cost of living to afford education, healthcare, and nutritious food. Among these households the gap averages 700,000 LBP per month, up to over 1,000,000 LBP per month. It is important to note that significant Livelihood Protection deficits and low resilience scores are likely to have severe and lasting effects on children.

Affected households make up 59% of the population of Akkar, and 51% of the population of Baalbek governorates. As a result of these gaps, households have reduced capacity to invest in human capital like education; may be taking on debts; and/or face nutrition deficits as diet diversity decreases and they focus on consumption of cheap carbohydrates.

Over the course of the last year, families have been reducing spending on children’s healthcare and education. As they minimize spending further, their coping strategies are becoming increasingly crisis-oriented and irreversible.

Prioritizing child-sensitive cash assistance remains one of the most economically and socially sound investments that actors in Lebanon can make to support the survival and development of children.