Children go to bed hungry in one in five Lebanese households, warns Unicef

According to a new report from Unicef, children in Lebanon are going hungry in one out of every five households due to the country's economic crisis exacerbated by conflict. The report reveals that 22% of surveyed households stated their children went without meals in the past two weeks. Additionally, 31% of households reported children lacking necessary health care due to financial constraints.

Sadly, 14% of households confirmed at least one child was working. Lebanon's economic turmoil, stemming from a 2019 financial crisis and intensified by the Covid-19 pandemic and the 2020 Beirut Port explosion, has worsened. The economy shrank by nearly 40% and the national currency lost significant value. Recently, tensions between Israel and Hezbollah reignited, further straining families.

Unicef representative Marcoluigi Corsi emphasized the "unbearable" burden children are facing, including lack of health care, education, and potential psychological distress. Since March, over 261 children have been killed or injured in Israeli attacks, with 12% of injured children living with disabilities. Education has also been severely disrupted, with 436 schools damaged or destroyed, affecting around 100,000 children.

Many families have cut education spending or seen their children drop out of school. Psychological distress among children is also substantial, with an estimated 770,000 kids experiencing mental health issues. Corsi warned that without immediate action, an entire generation of Lebanese children could suffer long-term consequences, highlighting the need to protect their well-being and ensure their right to essential services.