Empowered Aid: Reducing Risks Of Sexual Exploitation And Abuse In Aid Distribution

The Empowered Aid Lebanon report identifies that sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) are systemic risks where aid actors, landlords, and taxi drivers trade life-saving resources for sexual favors. These risks permeate every stage of delivery, from registration and home repairs to the "rent-for-sex" traps set by landlords. To fix this, the study calls for contextual safeguarding: redesigning aid through women-led teams, safe transport, and ATM literacy training to strip perpetrators of their gatekeeping power.