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Children in Lebanon have felt the crushing anxiety of war for months.

A ceasefire deal has been agreed between Israel and Hezbollah. This is a welcome announcement and a relief after a year of conflict in the south and especially following the last two months of unimaginable violence. 

Children in Lebanon have been killed, injured, uprooted from their homes, cut off from food, healthcare and school and exposed to hugely traumatic events. The ceasefire needs to be sustained indefinitely to end this suffering for children. All signatories to the ceasefire must fully respect and swiftly implement all their commitments made under this ceasefire agreement.

However, the nightmare isn’t over for children. Many will be returning to homes, villages, and farmlands that have been flattened or decimated by bombs. There is huge risk that lands may be scattered with unexploded ordnances and children will need specialist education on how to navigate these risks. 

Many children will have to continue living in overcrowded, basic shelters because their homes or villages have been destroyed, and these shelters lack adequate heating at a time when the first snowfall has arrived in Lebanon. 

Children and their families need support more than ever.  Children will need specialist emotional and psycho-social support to mitigate the distressing experiences they’ve faced. They will need support to catch up on lost education, in inclusive and safe environments.  Children who have been separated from their families will need help being reunited with loved ones or finding alternative care. Families who have lost their jobs and income will need support to rebuild their livelihoods.  

Help provide critical support to children in Lebanon and around the world by donating to our Children’s Emergency Fund.

Portrait of Reem*, 5 and Yara*, 6, two friends who met at a collective shelter in Mount Lebanon

Our response.

Save the Children has been working in Lebanon since 1953, helping children survive, learn and stay safe. We are responding to ongoing needs, particularly for those who have been displaced by the escalation of violence in southern Lebanon. 

Since October 2023, we’ve supported more than 135,000 people including 58,100 children across more than 300 shelters in three key regions of Lebanon – Central and South, East, and North Lebanon. In these shelters we’re distributing essential items like blankets, mattresses, hygiene kits, water and food parcels, and facilitating recreational activities to help children process their traumatic experiences and continue their learning. We are also providing children and their families with cash to buy essentials like food, warm clothing and medicines.

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. With additional funds, we plan to: 

  • Distribute more essential relief items, like bottled water, toiletries, blankets pillows, mattresses and solar lights.
  • Distribute more food parcels, cash to buy essentials and play materials for children.
  • Help children who have been separated from their families get reunited with their loved ones.
  • Provide safe and inclusive environments where children can catch up on their lost education.
  • Provide psychological first aid and train local responders and community members in basic mental health support.

 

DONATE NOW TO SUPPORT CHILDREN IN LIVING IN CONFLICT IN PLACES LIKE LEBANON AND GAZA.