WORLD - An assessment conducted by Oxfam in Lebanon during April and May 2026, covering 885 households and more than 4,600 people across different areas of the country, found that households are facing overlapping challenges, including declining livelihoods, food insecurity, difficulties accessing safe water, and mounting debt as a coping mechanism amid growing economic pressures.
According to the assessment, 74.8% of households need cash assistance to meet their basic needs, while 32.3% rely on debt to cover these needs.
These figures reflect households’ declining ability to rely on their available income and resources to cover daily expenses, amid rising living costs and limited income-generating opportunities. As a result, more households are turning to coping mechanisms that may further increase their financial vulnerability.
The reliance on borrowing comes at a time when cash assistance has become an important tool for supporting Lebanon’s most vulnerable households. Oxfam has also highlighted in a separate study the importance of understanding the relationship between cash assistance and household debt, amid continued economic vulnerability and declining humanitarian funding.
