THE CONTEXT: COPING WITH AN EVERGROWING CRISIS Akkar is one of the most deprived governorates in Lebanon, with many residents having been denied their basic rights for decades. Adding to the traditional hardships, the recent financial crisis, the Covid-19 pandemic and the impact of the Beirut Blast contributed to a huge deterioration in socio-economic conditions. • Since October 2019, the Lebanese pound has lost around 90% of its value, affecting people’s purchasing power and jeopardizing access to food, shelter and healthcare. • The Covid-19 pandemic and the successive lockdowns since March 2020 have severely worsened the economic situation, pushing poverty levels up. • Under such conditions, vulnerable groups have difficulty ensuring their families’ basic needs. • Approximately 30% of Lebanese living in Akkar resort to severe coping mechanisms to meet their basic needs. • Yet, Akkar is mostly a rural region where many families tend to be relatively self-sufficient, farming their own vegetables, fruits and even producing dairy products. Some families manage to draw income from their agricultural activity. “ We are not deprived. People in Beirut and Tripoli are deprived. In Akkar, we plant and eat our own food. - Lebanese villager, Hrar, April 28 “ “ The economic crisis is affecting everyone in Akkar. But the stateless are particularly hopeless, they are really poor and no one is looking out for them. - Mukhtar, Wadi Khaled, April 6 I was poor growing up and that's why I am stateless. Today, I have no money, no nationality and no way to treat my health issues. I am left with nothing. - 60 year old stateless woman, Aboudieh, March 18 Source: • Hodeib, M. (n.d.). Assessing the Impact of the Economic and COVID-19 Crises in Lebanon. 21 • World Report 2021: Rights Trends in Lebanon. (2020, December 15). Human Rights Watch © 2021 Siren Associates. All Rights Reserved.