UNICEF has raised alarms over the deteriorating nutritional and psychological well-being of children in Lebanon, particularly in eastern regions, following Israel’s recent military offensive.
The war, which began on September 23, 2024, and lasted two months, displaced over a million people. Despite a ceasefire on November 27, around 100,000 remain unable to return home.
UNICEF’s latest report describes “catastrophic damage” to children’s lives, with a severe nutrition crisis emerging in areas like Baalbek-Hermel, where heavy bombardment took place.
The report found that 51% of children under two in Baalbek-Hermel and 45% in the Bekaa region suffer from acute food insecurity, a sharp increase from 2023 levels.
Additionally, 49% of children in Bekaa and 34% in Baalbek-Hermel reported having no food or just one meal the previous day. Nationally, the figure stood at 30%.
The crisis has also deepened Lebanon’s education struggles, with over 500,000 children out of school due to economic hardships, teacher strikes, and lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many schools have been damaged or repurposed as shelters for displaced families.
Psychological distress among children has also surged, with a January 2025 survey revealing that 72% of caregivers noticed signs of anxiety in their children, while 62% reported symptoms of depression—figures significantly higher than pre-war levels.
UNICEF’s Lebanon representative, Akil Ayar, called for urgent aid to rebuild essential infrastructure and protect children’s future, urging all parties to uphold the ceasefire, as Israeli airstrikes continue in southern and eastern Lebanon.
Reports indicate that since the truce began, Israel has violated it 1,033 times, resulting in 82 deaths and 279 injuries.
The conflict, which ended with a fragile ceasefire, left a devastating toll—4,114 killed and 16,903 injured, including many women and children, with nearly 1.4 million displaced.
