ILO Launches Comprehensive Emergency Response Plan to Aid Lebanon’s Displaced Population.

Beirut: The International Labour Organization (ILO) has initiated a multi-faceted emergency response plan to address the escalating crisis in Lebanon, working alongside its national partners within the broader United Nations framework. The plan focuses on enhancing social protection via immediate cash benefits, rehabilitating infrastructure at shelters for displaced individuals, and ensuring sustainable employment and livelihoods in line with the ILO's commitment to social protection and decent work opportunities. According to National News Agency - Lebanon, the crisis has resulted in the displacement of over 1.2 million people, constituting more than 20 percent of Lebanon's population, with women and children making up two-thirds of this number. Ruba Jaradat, ILO Regional Director for Arab States, emphasized the unprecedented humanitarian situation and the urgent need for support to mitigate the conflict's impact. The ILO's emergency measures aim to complement existing humanitarian efforts and lay the found ation for long-term recovery. The ILO's plan is financially backed by ongoing projects in Lebanon, with support from the European Union, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Implemented in partnership with national authorities, UN agencies, and worker and employer organizations, the plan seeks to improve living conditions for displaced families in collective shelters while providing employment opportunities for local community members through various construction and maintenance projects. The response plan includes immediate actions, such as advance payments to over 27,000 individuals with disabilities and emergency payments to more than 5,000 beneficiaries. The ILO is also working with the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) and UN partners to enhance health insurance efficiency, aiming to broaden social health protection for displaced populations. In collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, the ILO is assisting farmers in maintaining agricultural production by providing acces s to essential resources, thereby safeguarding agricultural jobs and livelihoods. Technical vocational courses in cooking and winter kit production are also being offered to equip workers with new skills and job opportunities. Furthermore, the ILO is collaborating with the General Confederation of Lebanese Workers (CGTL) and the National Federation of Workers' and Employees' Trade Unions of Lebanon (FENASOL) to establish crisis cells and support displaced members, focusing particularly on migrant communities. It is also supporting the Association of Lebanese Industrialists (ALI) to address enterprise needs and aid displaced communities. To fully understand the crisis's impact on Lebanon's workforce and enterprises, the ILO, in conjunction with workers' and employers' organizations, is conducting a rapid assessment using surveys and qualitative interviews. This assessment aims to inform future policies and interventions to strengthen economic stability and resilience in the labor market.