Caretaker Social Affairs Minister Hector Hajjar in Bikfaya, 2021. (Credit F.N.)
BEIRUT — Caretaker Social Affairs Minister Hector Hajjar apologized Wednesday for the delay in ESSN (Emergency Social Safety Net) program payments this month, saying the payments will begin next week.
Here’s what we know:
• In a statement the minister said, “I would like to apologize to the Lebanese for the delay in payments [for the ESSN program] for this month for many reasons, most importantly the public employees’ strike.”
• The minister also said that he informed “the beneficiaries that the payments will start next week… and we will send a text message to people receiving payments next Monday.”
• Last month, Hajjar said the ongoing civil servants’ strike will cause “a few days delay” in disbursing ESSN cash assistance to the poorest Lebanese at the beginning of August.
• Some 584,266 households have registered for the ESSN and the ration card programs, with more than 2 million individuals seeking to benefit from cash assistance, according to the government’s IMPACT Open Data website. A total of 61,555 households are receiving ESSN payments to date, while social workers are reviewing others to ensure they meet the criteria