November 12, 2026
The Ministry of Social Affairs welcomed the House of Representatives’ approval of the draft law related to the loan agreement with the World Bank worth $200 million, stressing that this step ensures the continuity and expansion of the “Aman” program, and paves the way for the launch of a new phase titled “Aman 2.0,” starting in 2027, after completing the necessary administrative and executive procedures.
The Ministry explained that the new phase will increase the scope of coverage from about 106,000 to 150,000 families, in parallel with updating the targeting criteria and periodically re-verifying. This aims to confront the emerging poverty rates resulting from the war, the economic crisis, and the loss of sources of income, to ensure effective access to the most needy families in various Lebanese regions, including peripheral villages, pockets of poverty, and affected areas.
According to the statement, 96% of the loan value will be allocated to support families and the services and programs directly related to them, which include cash assistance, economic inclusion programs and job creation, as well as social services and support for development services centers.
In this context, the Minister of Social Affairs, Haneen Al-Sayed, considered that approving the loan represents a new starting point and not the end. She said: “Our goal is to make Aman 2.0 a leading national program with better standards, more precise targeting, and a greater ability to monitor those who are poor today and reach them wherever they are in Lebanon, while linking social protection to a clear path towards economic inclusion and independence for those able to work, within a vision based on the transition from social affairs to social development.”
Al-Sayyid stressed the importance of the qualitative shift in the program’s financing path, noting that the state has allocated, for the first time, direct funding for it from the general budget for the year 2026, with the Ministry’s proposal to raise the contribution to $70 million within the 2027 draft budget. She stressed that this step reflects a strategic shift towards consolidating the state’s responsibility in financing the social protection network and ensuring its sustainability, in light of a gradual path aimed at strengthening national financing and reducing dependence on abroad in the medium term.
The Ministry concluded by emphasizing that the approval of the loan launches the phase of serious work to establish “Aman 2.0” to form a more fair, transparent and dynamic pillar within the social protection system in Lebanon.
