AMAN 2 launched
by Ministry of Social Affairs

Up to 50,000 new families to benefit

The Ministry of Social Affairs (MoSA) has launched the second phase of its Emergency Social Safety Net (ESSN) project, rolling out the ‘AMAN 2’ initiative. This next step focuses on sharpening the targeting of the country's most vulnerable households, establishing greater systemic fairness, and explicitly bridging cash transfers with vital healthcare, educational, and economic services.

Before a comprehensive re-evaluation of its beneficiaries, the program supported 163,000 households. This total included 93,000 families enrolled under the standard Social Safety Net and another 70,000 families covered by the National Program to Support the Poorest Families. Following the recent audit, the updated recipient list stands at 128,474 households. A group of 31,427 families will exit the program because they no longer meet the criteria for the most vulnerable categories. To fill this gap, MoSA plans a gradual expansion by incorporating 40,000 to 50,000 new families through the end of 2026. This recruitment phase specifically targets underrepresented, high-poverty regions including Tripoli, Akkar, Beirut, and Mount Lebanon. This strategic recalibration aims to push the overall reach of the program beyond its historical baseline, targeting a new projected total of 180,000 to 190,000 beneficiary families. These adjustments directly address prior complaints regarding ineligible families receiving funds, ensuring that State support goes strictly to those in deep financial distress. Prior to the review, 14,619 households in Tripoli received aid. Only 708 households exited the program after the re-evaluation, a minor shift representing just four percent of the total.

The enrollment of new households across all regions is currently suspended due to ongoing war and security conditions. MoSA continues to coordinate with governors, municipalities, and local partners to identify eligible families. The near-term goal is to stabilize at 150,000 households in the upcoming stage. This aligns with broader efforts to monitor the 250,000 total households receiving various emergency aid packages across the country to prevent duplicate assistance.

Financing the expanded target of 180,000 families will require an estimated $300 million. The government has already allocated $50 million from the 2026 budget to fund these cash transfers, with the first tranche disbursed to families in June 2026. A $200 million World Bank loan approved in January 2026 and a €45 million grant signed with the European Union in April 2026 are moving through advanced processing stages. Both international funding streams are currently awaiting final parliamentary approval before they can be officially integrated into the national budget for utilization. MoSA has requested additional allocations in the 2027 budget to fully secure its long-term targets.

The ministry has shifted AMAN beyond basic cash distribution by introducing an economic integration strategy. The initiative partners with private sector firms and microfinance institutions to provide vocational training and job placements for regular beneficiaries as well as individuals with disabilities.

A collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health aims to secure comprehensive healthcare coverage for all AMAN recipients, marking a distinct transition toward a development-focused welfare model.

This complex apparatus evolved from a registration platform launched in December 2021 for electronic cash cards, which originally aimed to help 700,000 vulnerable families manage a surging cost of living. That initial assistance plan combined AMAN with a separate ration card program.

In March 2021, authorities secured an inaugural $246 million loan from the World Bank to fund the first iteration of AMAN. That first stage provided 150,000 families with approximately $150 a month, while covering $200 in school costs for 87,000 secondary students through direct payments of $20 per family member, a fixed $25 base rate per household, and tuition fees sent straight to educational institutions.