Social Experiment by the UN on Extreme Poverty in Lebanon

That was the message used to trigger people’s reactions and encourage their participation in a social experiment conducted by the UNCG in Lebanon in October to shed light on extreme poverty among Lebanese people.

People’s reactions were captured in a PR stunt video that was widely promoted on social media platforms of all UN agencies operating in Lebanon. These genuine reactions reflected the hardship experienced by Lebanese people struggling to secure their daily basic needs and the shock on their faces when they learned about their fellow citizens, comprising between 22-25%, who are living under $2.15 a day.

According to World Bank’s Emergency Response Social Safety Net (ESSN) 2021 Project, extreme poverty rate among Lebanese is between 22 and 25%.

The video aimed to raise awareness on extreme poverty in Lebanon and draw a message of solidarity that small individual steps of support can make a big difference. This was part of the UNCG’s Integrated Communication Campaign #TakeAStep to raise awareness on the Sustainable Development Goals and the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework in Lebanon. It was also produced to coincide with International Day for the Eradication of Poverty on 17 October.