UN plans to cut number of refugees receiving cash aid in Lebanon by a third, citing funding cuts

By ABBY SEWELL
Associated Press

BEIRUT (AP) — The United Nations will cut the number of refugee families receiving cash assistance in Lebanon by nearly a third next year. That’s according to UNHCR spokeswoman Lisa Abou Khaled on Thursday. She says that due to “significant funding reductions,” UNHCR and the World Food Program will give monthly cash aid to 88,000 fewer families in 2024 than in 2023. About 190,000 families will continue receiving the assistance, which is capped at a monthly maximum of $125 per household. In the past, some families received extra assistance in the winter months for heating fuel expenses, but this year that program will also be halted.