The Minister of Social Development, Haneen Sayed, at the Grand Serail in Beirut on March 7, 2026. (Photo taken from her X account)
BEIRUT — Ministry of Social Development Haneen Sayed announced Tuesday the launch of the second phase of the AMAN program, Lebanon’s national cash assistance initiative for struggling families, called “AMAN 2.0.” This second phase involves "more precise targeting of the neediest families" and an update of the ministry’s beneficiary lists, resulting in the removal of some households. Prior to the reassessment, the AMAN program included 163,000 families, while the updated list now comprises 128,474 families, the minister said at a press conference.
“I know that this decision is difficult and delicate. But it is neither a punishment nor a discriminatory measure, and certainly not a political decision. It is a necessary correction to ensure that aid reaches the families who truly need it,” Sayed emphasized. “At the same time, the reassessment took into account the needs of each region. For example, in Tripoli, the number of beneficiary families before the reassessment was 14,619. Afterward, only 708 families were removed from the program, or 4% of the total beneficiary families in Tripoli,” she explained.
Sayed also pointed out that the Lebanese government has directly contributed, for the first time, to financing the AMAN program in the 2026 budget by allocating $50 million in financial aid. "This month marks the first payment made by the Lebanese government under this program," the minister said. She added that Parliament is currently considering a $200,000 loan approved by the World Bank in January and by the Cabinet in early April.
A European Union grant of 45 million euros was signed at the end of April and is nearing completion, the minister said. For the 2027 budget, the Ministry of Social Development has requested an increase in funds to assist 180,000 beneficiary families in the next phase.
