“Lebanon has for long dealt with what we call the humanitarianization of the social protection field… a patchwork of donor-funded, non-state programs that were meant to be temporary, but have effectively become the core system.”

On 10 February 2026, the CALP Network and the Camealeon Consortium convened an online panel discussion titled “When Humanitarian Aid Steps Back: What Comes Next for Social Assistance in Lebanon?” bringing together practitioners and policy experts to examine how Lebanon can transition from over a decade of humanitarian reliance toward more sustainable, nationally led social protection systems.

The discussion comes at a critical juncture, as global humanitarian funding declines, donor priorities shift, and Lebanon faces mounting pressure to move toward systems that are more integrated, accountable, and anchored in public institutions—despite ongoing fiscal and governance constraints.

In this panel, ARI's Social Protection Program director, Farah Al-Shami offers a structural reading of Lebanon’s current model of assistance.
As the current war on Lebanon unfolds and humanitarian needs surge once again, this conversation serves as a reminder: without structural reform, each new crisis risks reinforcing the same fragmented system; delaying the shift toward a rights-based, state-led social protection framework capable of withstanding future shocks.