Ensuring Accountability in Reconstruction and Reform Efforts in Lebanon: Key Informant Interviews Report of Findings

The project aims to ensure greater accountability and transparency of humanitarian aid and reconstructions efforts, particularly for those most affected by the Beirut port explosion. It will do so by better equipping local civil society and journalist networks in their roles as watchdogs, by supporting state actors to improve government reforms and manage crisis in transparency, and by equipping citizens to monitor and report corruption, particularly in areas of Beirut most affected by the explosion. Several recent reports and documentaries have questioned the transparency and accountability of international assistance related to the Port of Beirut (PoB) explosion. There are claims that millions of dollars have been misused or wasted to corruption. “Ensuring Accountability in Reconstruction and Reform Efforts in Lebanon (EARREL)” intends to fill this information gap. EARREL is led by the American University of Beirut (AUB) and the Lebanese Transparency Association (LTA) and funded by Transparency International. This report builds on an exhaustive literature review conducted by the team as well as a data collection exercise that included (1) field surveys of 250 aid beneficiaries in the PoB area, and (2) Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with 25 experts in the field.