Lebanon National Consultation Report

Our Lebanon national consultation report takes a comprehensive view of the country’s priorities and aims to build an improved understanding of how the humanitarian research and innovation (HRI) ecosystem functions in the country, and offers ideas in developing culturally and contextually appropriate responses.

Lebanon is experiencing a severe humanitarian crisis due to the effects of massive socioeconomic collapse and the ongoing impacts of the August 2020 Beirut blast, occurring against a background of a longstanding refugee influx due to Palestinian and Syrian displacement. The compounding effects of these issues have generated a dire humanitarian situation, with most recent estimates indicating that approximately 82% of the total population in Lebanon are now experiencing multidimensional poverty.

Our Global Prioritisation Exercise (GPE) for HRI is a global research and consultation effort that seeks to improve outcomes for people affected by crises by amplifying the impact of investments into research and innovation (R&;I). The process aims to build an improved understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the global HRI system and deepen our understanding of priorities at all levels.

Key findings:

• Barriers to R&;I: Challenges include funding and access constraints, protracted timeframes, and limited collaboration.
• Misalignment in investments: R&;I investments often do not align with crucial humanitarian topics as they are perceived as a distraction, limited focus, the politics of foreign aid, and a lack of political engagement.
• Delays in responsiveness: Factors such as inflexible funding, donor constraints, and lack of openness to new ways of working hinder the timely responsiveness of the HRI system.

Recommendations:

• Recognition and funding for R&;I: Advocate for wider recognition, encouragement, and funding.
• Localisation of priorities: Ensure R&;I priorities are based on local needs, locally determined, and inclusively representative.
• Comprehensive funding mechanisms: Develop funding mechanisms that cover core funding and work on R&;I initiatives that address both acute needs and anticipated issues.

This consultation has highlighted a number of challenges in the R&;I system and also revealed a number of innovative and adaptive mechanisms that have been implemented in the increasingly dire Lebanese context. Donors and international collaborators should recognise the current contextual constraints faced by R&;I actors in Lebanon, who are both part of the R&;I system working to address the crisis but are also living the crisis themselves. Local, national and international actors engaged with the system should strive to ensure that funding and R&;I efforts are equitable and directed to the areas of greatest need and potential impact.  Improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the R&;I ecosystem and identifying these priorities is paramount.

This Lebanon consultation was undertaken by the Alfred Deakin Institute, Deakin University, and was led by Marian Abouzeid and Chaza Akik. Data collection was undertaken by Chaza Akik, data transcription and translation were undertaken by Yasmen Baroudi, and all authors analysed the data and wrote the report.

[.slimline-cta-box][.slimline-cta_heading]What is the Global Prioritisation Exercise?[.slimline-cta_heading][.slimline-cta_paragraph]The Global Prioritisation Exercise (GPE) for humanitarian research and innovation aims to improve outcomes for people affected by crisis by amplifying the impact of investments in research and innovation and understanding the priorities at all levels. It will provide a detailed overview of the progress and performance of the humanitarian research and innovation ecosystem with a clear set of priorities for research and innovation funding and attention.

Find out more about the GPE[.slimline-cta_paragraph][.slimline-cta-box]