Children will now be returning to villages and neighbourhoods that no longer resemble the homes they once knew.
While the announcement of a temporary ceasefire brought a critical moment of relief for children and their families, violations continue to be reported. This continues to put many children at risk, exposing them once again to fear, injury and displacement. Any pause must be fully respected by all parties.
Children in Lebanon have are once again facing a nightmare and paying the highest price. Almost 20 children a day have been killed or injured by Israeli forces airstrikes since 2 March.
Children need stability to heal from the war, to return to school, to play, and to rebuild their lives without the constant fear that violence will resume.
Over 1 million people including approximately 400,000 children remain displaced in Lebanon, unable to return home due to ongoing hostilities.
This temporary ceasefire must mark the beginning of lasting stability and relief, not merely a pause before further suffering. Civilian protection must be prioritised, and international law must be respected.
A short-term pause is not enough to protect children or enable meaningful recovery. A definitive and permanent ceasefire is essential.
Save the Children will continue responding on the ground, but urgent international action is needed. We call on all parties and the international community to urgently work toward a permanent and definitive end to the violence through sustained diplomatic efforts.
Help provide critical support to children in Lebanon and around the world by donating to our Children’s Emergency Fund.
Save the Children staff run recreational activities for children at a collective shelter for displaced families in eastern Lebanon. Baraa Shkeir/Save the Children
Our response.
Save the Children has been working in Lebanon since 1953, helping children survive, learn and keep safe. Since the escalation of the conflict in September 2024 and up until January 2026, Save the Children has reached more than 322,000 people across Lebanon, including large numbers of children and their families, with lifesaving and recovery support.
We stand ready to scale up our response to ensure children have the right support to rebuild their lives. But we need your help to do this. So far, we have provided children and their families with:
- Child protection services, this includes setting up safe spaces for children and referring them to additional support, when needed.
- Learning materials, recreational activities, and setting up learning spaces in shelters to help children continue their education.
- Shelter and essential items, including providing mattresses, blankets, pillows, heaters, and solar lights to families in shelters across almost 300 locations.
- Water, sanitation and hygiene kits in shelters.
- Livelihood support, including providing food parcels and cash for shelter so they can pay bills, repair their homes or buy essentials.
After this ceasefire agreement, Save the Children stands ready to respond to children's evolving needs and ensure they are getting the urgent support they need.
If you are in Lebanon and are looking for information on how to receive help from Save the Children or you would like to know more about our approach to safeguarding and accountability, you can find all the relevant resources here.
