A report that deals with the status of Lebanon’s children … This is what the war did to them

UNICEF issued a new report on the recent war on Lebanon, in which it pointed out that “the last war on Lebanon has caused disastrous damage to the lives of children, as its effects still hesitate even after the ceasefire came into effect in November 2024. The destroyed war forced children to flee their homes and cause severe damage to the facilities that provide basic services and caused physical and psychological suffering in children All parts of the country. ”

UNICEF representative, Akil, pointed out that the war “left a shocking impact on children, as all aspects of their lives – their health, education and their entire future have affected,” and said: “The children of Lebanon need urgent support to recover and rebuild their lives and overcome long -term repercussions of this crisis.”

A UNICEF poll showed in January 2025 that “72 percent of the care providers reported that their children were suffering from anxiety or stress during the war, while 62 percent said that their children were very sad or felt depressed. This represents a noticeable increase compared to the data recorded before the war in 2023. Although 8 out of 10 care providers indicated an improvement in their children’s psychological health after the ceasefire, children who have been exposed to long periods of stress and psychological trauma may face health and psychological repercussions accompanying them for lifetime.

The report also revealed, “A disturbing picture of the development of children’s nutrition, especially in areas with high population density such as the Baalbek -Hermel and the Bekaa provinces that were subjected to frequent air strikes. In Baalbek – Hermel, more than half of children under the age of two (51 percent) suffer from severe diet, and in the Bekaa the percentage increased to 45 percent, in a significant increase from 28 percent in 2023. Children are considered in severe food poverty if they consume two or less than eight basic food groups. The crisis is not limited to infants and young children, as the evaluation showed that 49 percent of children under the age of 18 in the Bekaa, and 34 percent in Baalbek – Hermel, did not eat any food or eaten only one meal on the day before the survey. On the national level, the percentage reached 30 percent.

The report added: “The war also exacerbated the education crisis in Lebanon, the presence of more than 500,000 children outside the school due to years of the effects of the economic crisis, the strikes of the teachers, and the impact of the Kofid-19. The war destroyed schools and caused severe damage to other schools, as well as hundreds of schools to displacement centers to accommodate a portion of the displaced people fleeing the conflict, whose total number reached about 1.3 million people. Even with the ceasefire, the school attendance is still low, as more than 25 percent of children are still outside the school at the time of the survey last month, compared to about 65 percent who were outside the school during the war. Many children can go to school due to financial obstacles. Three -thirds of families who have children outside the school indicate that the reason is due to the high school fees, transportation costs and school supplies, a double number compared to 2023. ”

The report also revealed other disturbing results, namely that “45 percent of families were forced to reduce spending on health services, 30 percent of education, to secure basic needs, 31 percent of families did not have enough drinking water, 33 percent of families were unable to obtain the necessary medicines for their children, and 22 percent of families did not have any source of heating during the winter.”

He stressed that Lebanon “faces tremendous challenges in recovering from the effects of war and political and economic turmoil that has lasted for years. UNICEF provided support for children during the conflict period, and it is committed to continuing to support the efforts of recovery and reconstruction.

“This data provides conclusive evidence of the urgent need to move now,” Akil said. Lebanon must receive the necessary support to rebuild the infrastructure and basic services and ensure a better future for children. ”He said:“ At this critical and destiny moment in the history of Lebanon we cannot wait, and we call on all parties to adhere to the conditions of ceasefire and work with the international community to maintain permanent peace and secure a bright future for children. We also call on the new government to give priority to children’s rights and their needs within the reform and recovery agenda.

UNICEF indicated that “given the complexities of the current crisis and its long -term impact on children, the need becomes urgent to sustainable support in light of these critical times,” and calls on the international community to “stand by the children of Lebanon and contribute to the call of response to 2025 at a value of 658.2 million US dollars to provide life -saving aid to 2.4 million people throughout the country.”