BEIRUT — In a tragic turn of events, more than 400,000 children have been displaced in Lebanon within the past three weeks, according to a senior official from the U.N. children’s agency. The situation is dire, with warnings issued about the potential emergence of a “lost generation” amidst the turbulence of a country already facing severe crises and now engulfed in conflict.
Israel has intensified its military operations against the Hezbollah militant group located in Lebanon, marked by a significant ground invasion following a year of violent exchanges during its ongoing battle with Hamas in Gaza. The fallout of this conflict has pushed approximately 1.2 million people to flee their homes, with many finding refuge in Beirut and northern areas since the recent escalation began.
Ted Chaiban, UNICEF’s deputy executive director for humanitarian actions, expressed deep concern after visiting schools repurposed as shelters for families displaced by the violence. “It’s shocking to witness the extent to which this conflict has impacted children in just three weeks,” Chaiban stated in Beirut. “Currently, 1.2 million children are missing out on education. Many public schools are either too dangerous to access, damaged from the conflict, or occupied as shelters. The last thing Lebanon requires, on top of its existing crises, is the threat of a lost generation.”
Although some private schools in Lebanon continue to function, the war has severely disrupted the public school system, affecting the nation’s most vulnerable groups, including Palestinian and Syrian refugees. “I fear for hundreds of thousands of Lebanese, Syrian, and Palestinian children who now face the risk of losing their education,” Chaiban remarked.
According to the Health Ministry, over 2,300 lives have been lost in Lebanese territory due to Israeli strikes, with around 75% of these casualties occurring within the last month. Chaiban mentioned that more than 100 children lost their lives and over 800 were injured just in the last three weeks.
Conditions for displaced families are alarming, as many have been crammed into overcrowded shelters where several families share a single classroom separated only by a plastic sheet. In these conditions, approximately 1,000 people are forced to utilize just 12 toilets, not all of which are operational. Many displaced individuals have resorted to setting up tents along roadsides or on public beaches.
Many children, having endured extensive trauma, now react with terror to loud noises, including sounds of shelling or gunfire. “We are at the start of this conflict, and the repercussions have already been deeply felt,” noted Chaiban.
The ongoing violence has also taken a toll on health care infrastructure, with over 100 primary health care facilities out of operation. Additionally, 12 hospitals are either completely closed or are functioning at reduced capacity. Water infrastructure has not been spared, as 26 water stations critical for supplying nearly 350,000 people have been damaged in the last three weeks. UNICEF is collaborating with local authorities to restore these essential services.
Chaiban stressed the importance of safeguarding civilian infrastructure and called for a cease-fire both in Lebanon and Gaza. He asserted that there must be political commitment to the understanding that military solutions will not resolve the conflict. “We need to urgently halt this madness and ensure a cease-fire, preventing further destruction, suffering, and loss of life akin to what we have witnessed in Gaza,” he stated.
Amid the overwhelming humanitarian needs, the emergency funding appeal for $108 million aimed at addressing the crisis in Lebanon has only seen a meager 8% of its required funding secured after three weeks of escalating conflict.