Refugees and host communities in Lebanon are faced with high levels of financial exclusion, a situation that is usually made worse by health-related shocks.
A 2019, study by the World Bank Group and CGAP found that these communities tend to rely on informal mechanisms to manage irregular cash-flows, such as converting cash to gold, borrowing from family and friends, and saving through informal groups.
A combination of economic shocks and health-related shocks leaves many vulnerable.
CGAP sees a key role for the financial inclusion community especially in facilitating cooperation between government authorities and the private sector to offer services to refugees and low-income households in host communities.
On the other hand, CGAP also argues that donors can also facilitate linkages between the public and private sectors.