Navigating the Nexus: A Brighter Future for Children in Urban Contexts in Lebanon

Two billion people live in countries where development outcomes are deeply affected by fragility, conflict and violence, and which are some of the most dangerous places in the world to be a child. Additionally, the causes of multidimensional fragility are often more intensive in cities, and urban environments contribute to unique manifestations of fragility.

After decades of civil war, Lebanon was already one of the most fragile countries in the world. Although Lebanon is an upper-middle income country where over 88 per cent of the population live in urban areas, it is ranked as the 34th most fragile state in the world and its position is expected to deteriorate with the recent emergence of concurrent crises. The Syrian war, economic and financial crises, political instability, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the explosion at the Port of Beirut have only further exacerbated the fragility of the country.

In line with the nexus framework, World Vision is breaking internal siloes and strategically developing new, agile ways of working that span the humanitarian, development and peacebuilding nexus in these unique and unpredictable settings. This has led to the development of World Vision’s Fragile Contexts Programme Approach (FCPA), which began in 2017.