The latest war in Lebanon has had a significant negative impact on children’s lives, with effects continuing to reverberate even after the ceasefire came into effect in November 2024, according to a new UNICEF report.
The devastating war forced children to flee their homes, damaged facilities providing essential services and inflicted physical and emotional wounds on children across the country.
“The war has taken a shocking toll on children, affecting almost every aspect of their lives – their health, their education and ultimately their futures,” said Akhil Iyer, UNICEF Representative in Lebanon. “Lebanon’s children need urgent support to heal, rebuild their lives, and survive the lasting impacts of this crisis”.
In a survey conducted by UNICEF in January 2025, 72 per cent of caregivers said their children were anxious or nervous during the war, and 62 per cent said they were depressed or sad. This represents a surge from pre-war data collected in 2023. While 8 in 10 caregivers said they have seen some improvement in their children’s mental health since the ceasefire, those who endured prolonged periods of traumatic stress could face lifelong health and psychological consequences.
The assessment also revealed an alarming picture of children’s nutrition, particularly in the densely populated areas of Baalbeck-Hermel and Bekaa governorates, which were repeatedly targeted by air strikes.
In Baalbeck-Hermel, more than half (51 per cent) of children under 2 years of age are experiencing severe food poverty. In Bekaa, the rate was 45 per cent, a dramatic increase from 28 per cent in 2023. Children are considered in severe food poverty if they consume two or fewer of eight key food groups.
The crisis extends beyond infants. Almost half of children (49 per cent) under 18 years of age in Bekaa and just over one third (34 per cent) in Baalbeck-Hermel had either had not eaten or had had only one meal on the day prior to the survey being conducted. Nationwide, the rate was 30 per cent.
Poor nutrition and insufficient meal frequency stunt children’s growth and cognitive development and increase their risk of suffering from life-threatening malnutrition.
The conflict also compounded Lebanon’s challenging education situation which had already left over 500,000 children out school after years of economic strife, teacher strikes and the impact of COVID-19. Schools were destroyed or heavily damaged in the war and hundreds more were used as shelters for some of the 1.3 million people who were internally displaced due to the conflict.
Even with the ceasefire, school attendance remains low. Over 25 per cent of children are still out of school at the time of the survey last month, as compared to 65 per cent out of school during the war.
Many children are unable to attend school due to financial barriers. Two-thirds of families with children out of school cite the high costs of school fees, transportation, and materials, a figure that has doubled since 2023.
