Minister of Social Affairs Haneen Sayed (third from the left) during a field visit to southern Lebanon accompanied by a delegation from the ministry on 25 Oct. 2025. (Credit: NNA)
BEIRUT — Social Affairs Minister Haneen Sayed toured southern Lebanon on Saturday, visiting Sour, Bint Jbeil, and Jabal al-Botm with a ministry delegation to meet local officials and assess social conditions in areas affected by the recent Israeli war, the state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported.
Sayed began her tour with a consultative meeting at the Union of Sour Municipalities, attended by Members of Parliament Inaya Ezzeddine, Ali Khreis, and Hussein Jashi, as well as Union President Hassan Dbouk, several mayors and representatives of security agencies and civil society organizations.
During the meeting, Sayed affirmed that the Social Affairs Ministry, on behalf of the state, “stands by the people of the south during this difficult period and is working, within its available means, to provide support and assistance to the most affected groups.”
'$250 million World Bank funded project now in its final preparatory stages'
She noted that the ministry is currently preparing a comprehensive reconstruction and recovery plan that includes development projects in the affected areas, most notably a $250 million World Bank funded project now in its final preparatory stages, in addition to an agricultural initiative in cooperation with the Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR).
Economic losses from Israeli attacks on Lebanon have been estimated to exceed $20 billion dollars.
Reconstruction efforts in southern Lebanon, the Bekaa and the southern suburbs of Beirut have stalled, with the U.S. insisting that Hezbollah disarmament take place before equipment for reconstruction is allowed to enter Lebanon. Lately, Israel has been targeting reconstruction equipment in southern Lebanon, including bulldozers, cranes and fuel tanks.
Sayed emphasized the ministry’s commitment to restoring and gradually reopening social centers in the south, explaining that the recently launched emergency assistance programs cover 260,000 individuals, who receive monthly cash transfers for six months, along with support for displaced families unable to afford rent.
The minister then visited the Union of Bint Jbeil Municipalities and the Development Center in Bint Jbeil, where she met with staff and several families benefiting from the “Aman” program, reviewing the center’s operations and needs. She highlighted the key role of development centers as essential hubs for the ministry’s work, spaces that deliver social and economic services and support the most vulnerable groups.
"Aman" is an emergency social safety net program, funded by the World Bank and launched in 2022 amid Lebanon's economic crisis, has enabled monthly cash transfers to the most deprived families in the country.
The tour concluded in Jabal al-Botm, where Sayed presided over the reopening of the Social Affairs Center after its rehabilitation, in the presence of mayors and local dignitaries. In her remarks, she reaffirmed that the ministry, as does the state, "remains committed to standing by the people of the south,' noting that the government, led by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, considers "reconstruction a national priority and a firm developmental commitment."
