Lebanese Minister on State vs Militia, IMF Reforms, Child Poverty & Israeli Violations

In this special episode of REEL TALK Minister of Social Affairs Haneen Sayed speaks about one of the most critical moments in the country’s modern history. After a financial collapse that wiped out savings and pushed millions into poverty, and a 14-month war between Hezbollah and Israel that devastated the south and the Bekaa, Lebanon is trying to rebuild from the ground up. As a former World Bank veteran with 30+ years’ experience, Minister Sayed is tasked with leading the social response: emergency cash assistance, rebuilding shattered communities, and redefining her ministry from “social affairs” to social development.

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Timestamps:

00:00:00 – Intro: Lebanon’s economic collapse, war & the new reform government
00:07:06 – “Impossible job?” Haneen Sayed explains where she started as minister
00:12:49 – 30 years at the World Bank: crises, social protection & what she brings home
00:20:02 – World Bank/IMF meetings & the Aman safety-net supporting 800,000 Lebanese
00:23:53 – From Social Affairs to Social Development: jobs, skills, microfinance & data
00:39:32 – Emergency cash for 260,000 war-displaced people & the state’s role in the south
00:47:06 – Syrian refugees: numbers, the return plan & coordination with Damascus
00:56:23 – Old powerbrokers vs technocrats: can this government really reform the system?
01:05:24 – Hezbollah’s arms, Israeli violations & why she wants one army under the state
01:19:40 – Women, youth & why she left the World Bank to serve Lebanon now