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The impact of cash transfers on Syrian refugees in Lebanon: Evidence from a multidimensional regression discontinuity design

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  • Salti, Nisreen
  • Chaaban, Jad
  • Moussa, Wael
  • Irani, Alexandra
  • Al Mokdad, Rima
  • Jamaluddine, Zeina
  • Ghattas, Hala

Abstract

This paper evaluates the impact of multipurpose cash assistance on refugee households, by relying on an original sampling design that allows tracing these impacts over multiple periods. Using two waves of household survey data collected in 2019 from economically vulnerable Syrian refugee households in Lebanon, we estimate the program impact of varying cash assistance durations including: discontinued recipients (received cash for 12 months then got discontinued in the next cash cycle), short-run cash recipients (12 months or less), long-run recipients (more than 12 months) and non-beneficiary eligible households. Using a sharp multidimensional regression discontinuity design, we find that most detected impacts materialize in the long-term cash group, indicating the importance of instituting longer-term cash cycles. Households in the long-run group had significantly higher levels of total household and food expenditures, higher access to residential housing and formal enrollment for children, and lower levels of child labor.

Suggested Citation

  • Salti, Nisreen & Chaaban, Jad & Moussa, Wael & Irani, Alexandra & Al Mokdad, Rima & Jamaluddine, Zeina & Ghattas, Hala, 2022. "The impact of cash transfers on Syrian refugees in Lebanon: Evidence from a multidimensional regression discontinuity design," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:deveco:v:155:y:2022:i:c:s0304387821001590
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jdeveco.2021.102803
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    2. Altındağ, Onur & O’Connell, Stephen D., 2023. "The short-lived effects of unconditional cash transfers to refugees," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).
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    7. Michael Callen & Miguel Fajardo-Steinhauser & Michael G. Findley & Tarek Ghani, 2023. "Can Digital Aid Deliver During Humanitarian Crises?," Papers 2312.13432, arXiv.org, revised Oct 2024.
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