BEIRUT: Lebanon’s compounding crises are having a “devastating” impact on children and their education, a United Nations agency said Wednesday, warning of additional pressure as the Israel-Hamas war spills over into the country.
UN children’s agency UNICEF said more than a quarter of households surveyed last month reported children not attending school, compared to 18 percent in April.
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.
For four years, Lebanon has been gripped by a crushing economic crisis that has pushed most of the population into poverty.
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.”
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 labor,” 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.”
Since the Israel-Hamas war began on October 7, the frontier between Lebanon and Israel has seen deadly exchanges of fire, mainly between the Israeli army and Shiite Muslim movement Hezbollah, raising fears of a broader conflict and sending thousands fleeing border areas.
“Several dozen schools in the southern part of Lebanon have been closed... affecting more than 6,000 students,” the report said, noting that “attendance is minimal at schools that still remain open.”
UNICEF also warned of the emotional impact of the crises, saying “the deprivations and uncertainty are leaving children hungry, anxious or 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 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.”
The severe crises are “crushing children’s dreams and taking away their learning, their happiness and their future,” said Edouard Beigbeder, UNICEF representative in Lebanon.
Lebanon crises having ‘devastating’ effect on children: UNICEF
https://arab.news/5xqr7
Lebanon crises having ‘devastating’ effect on children: UNICEF
- Some 16 percent of families and a third of Syrian refugees sent school-aged children to work
Spain highlights importance of Gaza reconstruction
- Spain officially recognized Palestine as a state in May 2024, in a coordinated move alongside Ireland and Norway
RAMALLAH: The Palestinian prime minister, Mohammed Mustafa, and the Spanish foreign minister, Jose Manuel Albares, on Friday discussed the latest developments in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
During their telephone conversation they emphasized the need to intensify international efforts to end the Israeli occupation and halt attacks and settler violence, and to secure the release of Palestinian funds held by Israeli authorities.
They affirmed the importance of ongoing efforts relating to plans for the reconstruction of Gaza, and Europe’s significant role in this process. Mustafa and Albares highlighted the need to unify Palestinian institutions in Gaza with those in the West Bank, with the aim of establishing a Palestinian state in line with international resolutions, including last year’s New York Declaration.
They also discussed coordination between their countries, and the strengthening of Spain’s political, diplomatic and financial support for Palestine, and Mustafa thanked Spain for its ongoing support.
Spain officially recognized Palestine as a state in May 2024, in a coordinated move alongside Ireland and Norway. Estephan Salameh, the Palestinian finance and planning minister, is set to visit Spain this month to discuss enhanced cooperation, particularly in the areas of development and reconstruction. Meanwhile, Israel continues operating in the occupied West Bank.
The Palestinian Prisoners media office said on Friday that Israel carried out numerous raids across the territory, including the major cities of Ramallah and Hebron, according to The Associated Press.
Nearly 50 people were detained, following the arrest of at least 50 other Palestinians on Thursday, most of those in the Ramallah area.
As 2026 begins, the shaky 12-week-old ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has largely ended large-scale Israeli bombardment of Gaza.
But Palestinians are still being killed by Israeli fire, especially along the so-called Yellow Line that delineates areas under Israeli control, and the humanitarian crisis is compounded by frequent winter rains and colder temperatures.
On Friday, American actor and film producer Angelina Jolie visited the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip.
The only crossing between the territory and a country other than Israel, it remains closed despite Palestinian requests to reopen it to people and aid.
Jolie met with members of the Red Crescent on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing and then visited a hospital in the nearby city of Arish to speak with Palestinian patients on Friday, according to Egyptian officials.
Aid groups say not enough shelter materials are getting into Gaza during the truce.
