UNICEF in Lebanon
PROLONGED ECONOMIC CRISIS THREATENS CHILDREN’S FUTURES

Since 2019, Lebanon has endured a complex economic and financial crisis worsened by political deadlock and deteriorating social stability.

UNICEF is working in Lebanon to provide essential, life-saving services to ensure children can survive, grow and reach their full potential.

EFFECTS OF THE ECONOMIC CRISIS IN LEBANON

Lebanon’s unprecedented economic crisis has resulted in an estimated 2.5 million people in need of humanitarian support, including 700,000 children. Internal and external shocks like the cholera outbreak in 2022, the Beirut Port Explosion in 2021, and the COVID-19 pandemic have worsened the crisis and increased the needs of people across the country.

Inflation and the declining Lebanese pound has led to almost 9 in 10 households not having enough money to buy essentials, forcing them to resort to extreme measures including child marriage, excessive debt and child labour to cope with the crisis.

Healthcare is becoming increasingly unaffordable, while water, sanitation and hygiene services have been disrupted. Almost 2.7 million people across Lebanon are facing challenges accessing safe and clean water.

Children are unable to access an education due to school closures, rising costs and increasing poverty. More than 1 in 10 families have been forced to send children out to work to survive the socio-economic crisis engulfing the country.

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HOW UNICEF IS RESPONDING TO THE CRISIS IN LEBANON

UNICEF is working with our partners to support children and families in Lebanon through:

  • Health systems strengthening while ensuring continued access to essential health services;
  • Addressing acute and severe malnutrition through early detection;
  • Providing access to safe and clean water;
  • Solarizing public schools to reduce their operating costs and carbon footprints.

UNICEF is also working to ensure that basic social services are available, so families will not resort to negative coping strategies like child marriage and excessive debt.

A mother holds in her arms her sleeping son, who has a faded drawing of the Lebanese flag on his head.

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