'Crushing their dreams': Children hit ever-harder by Lebanon’s unrelenting crises

The impact of Lebanon’s unrelenting, overlapping crises continues to worsen, increasingly robbing children of their education and forcing many into child labour, as parents struggle with ever-diminishing resources

With data collected in November 2023, UNICEF analysis reveals further deterioration in almost every aspect of children’s lives, as the four-year-long crisis shows no sign of abating.

The emotional burden is particularly heavy in conflict-affected southern Lebanon and among Palestinian children.

"Several dozen schools in southern Lebanon have been closed since October 2023, due to an intensification of hostilities, affecting more than 6,000 students"

“This terrible crisis is eroding the childhood of hundreds of thousands of children, through multiple crises not of their making,” said Edouard Beigbeder, UNICEF Representative in Lebanon.

“Its severity is crushing children’s dreams, and taking away their learning, their happiness and their future.”

Over the past four years, he said, Lebanon has faced a “compounding set of multiple crises” that the World Bank describes as one of the 10 worst financial and economic crises since the mid-19th century.

This has led to the humanitarian needs of people across all population sectors increasing dramatically.

Since the financial meltdown began in October 2019, the country’s political class — blamed for decades of corruption and mismanagement — has been resisting economic and financial reforms requested by the international community.

Lebanon started talks with the International Monetary Fund in 2020 to try to secure a bailout, but since reaching a preliminary agreement last year, the country’s leaders have been reluctant to implement needed changes.

The UN estimates that about 3.9 million people need humanitarian help in Lebanon, including 2.1 million Lebanese, 1.5 million Syrians, 180,000 Palestinian refugees, over 31,000 Palestinians from Syria, and 81,500 migrants.

According to the UN humanitarian office, more than 12 years since the start of the conflict in Syria, Lebanon hosts “the highest number of displaced persons per capita and per square kilometre in the world."

More than a quarter of households (26 percent) said they had school-aged children not attending school, up from 18 percent in April 2023, when a similar assessment was conducted.

Making matters worse, several dozen schools in southern Lebanon have been closed since October 2023, due to an intensification of hostilities, affecting more than 6,000 students.

"Palestinian children are affected by the cumulative emotional impacts of poor living conditions, factional clashes, uncertainty about the future and the shocking images from the war in Gaza – where many of their loved ones have been injured or killed"

The number rose to more than half in Syrian refugee households, the report said, adding that "the cost of education materials" was the most commonly cited barrier to attendance.

Some 16 percent of families and a third of Syrian refugees sent school-aged children to work, the report said, while more than 80 percent of households "had to borrow money or buy on credit to purchase essential grocery items".

Skyrocketing prices and widespread poverty continue to force families to resort to desperate measures just to afford one meal per day and basic shelter.

Lebanon's "persistent and compounding crises... are exacting a steadily devastating toll on children nationwide, increasingly stripping them of their education and forcing many into child labour," the UNICEF report said.

"Desperate parents, grappling with ever-dwindling resources, are forced into a heart-wrenching struggle to keep their families afloat amidst the unrelenting challenges."

In the South Governorate, 46 percent of households say their children are anxious and 29 percent are depressed.

Some 38 percent of households reported their children were anxious, the agency said, with the figure rising to 46 percent in parts of south Lebanon near the cross-border hostilities, and almost half of the Palestinian refugee children.

"The survey also shows that 34 percent of children in Lebanon believe their lives will be worse one year from now," the UNICEF report said.

The agency urged Lebanese authorities "to take strong action to support, protect and ensure essential services for all children".

Among Palestinian households, 47 percent of children have reported anxiety, while 30 percent say they are depressed.

Palestinian children are affected by the cumulative emotional impacts of poor living conditions, factional clashes, uncertainty about the future and the shocking images from the war in Gaza – where many of their loved ones have been injured or killed.

“The daily suffering of children must stop,” said Beigbeder. “We must redouble our efforts to make sure every child in Lebanon is in school and learning, is protected from physical and mental harm and has the opportunity to thrive and contribute to society.”