UNICEF Warns of Rising Child Casualties, Mass Displacement Amid Escalating Crisis in Lebanon

UNICEF Warns of Rising Child Casualties, Mass Displacement Amid Escalating Crisis in Lebanon
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The UNICEF has warned of a worsening humanitarian crisis in Lebanon amid ongoing military escalation, reporting that at least 121 children have been killed and 399 injured, while hundreds of thousands have been displaced.

According to UNICEF’s representative in Lebanon, nearly 20% of the country’s population has been forced to flee since the latest round of hostilities began. The agency estimates that more than 370,000 children have been displaced due to continued airstrikes and deteriorating security conditions.

The escalation, which has included intense air raids on Beirut’s southern suburbs as well as areas in southern and eastern Lebanon since early March, has led to rising civilian casualties and growing humanitarian needs, particularly among children and women.

UNICEF stressed the urgent need for unhindered humanitarian access, warning that continued fighting will further worsen living conditions, especially as displacement increases and basic services continue to decline.

Meanwhile, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees representative in Lebanon, Carolina Lindholm Billing, said the country is facing a rapidly deepening crisis, with more than one million people displaced since early March.

She noted that over 136,000 displaced people are currently sheltering in around 660 collective sites, many of them overcrowded schools, where families are living under difficult conditions and constant fear. Officials also warned that the psychological impact of the conflict, particularly on children, could have long-lasting effects even after the fighting ends.