NNA - The Ministry of Social Affairs announced in a statement on Saturday that the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved $200 million in funding allocated to strengthening the social safety net and building systems, in a step that reflects the Lebanese state’s commitment to protecting the underprivileged and most vulnerable groups.

The project aims to enhance the sustainability of the national social protection system, and to support the economic inclusion of women, youth and the neediest groups, in light of the delicate economic and social conditions that Lebanon is experiencing.

This funding comes in parallel with the Lebanese Parliament Council's general budget endorsement, including an actual increase in social spending, particularly the allocation of $55 million for the first time to the "Aman" program, which enhances the continuity of the program and ensures the sustainability of its funding within the national budget.

In this connection, Lebanon's Social Affairs Minister affirmed that this project is at the heart of the Ministry’s vision and social role, and ensures the continuity of the "Aman" program as a basic safety net for the most underprivileged families.

"It constitutes part of the social assistance pillar in the Ministry’s strategy, which is based on standing by people in the most difficult circumstances, developing social protection systems in a way that enhances their efficiency and fairness, and contributes to restoring the relationship between the citizen and the state on the basis of dignity and rights," the Minister asserted.

This project comes within the framework of the Lebanese government and Social Affairs Ministry endeavors to modernize the social protection sector, moving from situational response to building a sustainable national system, more capable of protecting the most vulnerable groups and promoting social stability in the long term.