The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) published on November 23, 2021 a report titled “Surviving without the basics: The ever-worsening impact of Lebanon’s crisis on children” in which it shed the light on the grim prospects of Lebanon’s children. In details, the report commented that Lebanon is facing a multitude of crisis namely the economic depression, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Beirut port explosion. In addition, the report uncovered that hundreds of thousands of children in Lebanon are at risk. In fact, the report mentioned that these children are going to get hungry, are not receiving the healthcare they need, and are unable to attend school. According to the report, and in light of the soaring inflation, increasing poverty, and the rising scarcity of jobs, families are struggling to provide for their children. In figures, some 53.4% of families had at least one child skip a meal in October 2021, in comparison with 36.7% in April 2021. Furthermore, the report revealed that 9 out of 10 families experienced electricity cut-offs, circa 3 in 10 households had to reduce their expenses on education (30.6% reduction in October in comparison with 26.3% in April), and some 4 in 10 were forced to sell household items to purchase basics goods (40.8% in October compared to 33.0% in April). In the same vein, the report unveiled that around 7 in 10 families had to buy food on credit or borrow some money to afford food (71.7% in October compared to 61.9% in April). The report mentioned that more than 8 in 10 individuals live in poverty and 34% live in extreme poverty. From another perspective, the report commented that the multiple crises Lebanon has gone through increased children’s vulnerability and further worsened inequality, with some children having no alternative but to work, find themselves on the street or encounter other serious risks (such as child marriage, trafficking, and sexual exploitation). In figures, the proportion of families that forced their children to join the workforce increased from 9% in April to 12% in September, noting that this figure increased by seven folds to 7% for Lebanese households.

From another point of view, the report uncovered that Lebanon’s healthcare system has been hampered by the ongoing economic paralysis. Delving further into details, the report revealed that hospitals are running short of fuel, leading to frequent power outages and a lack of necessary supplies. In addition, health workers are exhausted, medication prices increased substantially which left several families unable to afford proper healthcare for their children at a time when the country is suffering from a lack of essential medicines. In numbers, circa 34% of children in need of primary healthcare in October did not receive it, up from 28% in April. The report added that 9 in 10 surveyed families experienced an increase in the prices of medicine in the three month period prior to October, in comparison with 7 in 10 in April. The UNICEF commented that the increasing fuel cost which limited transportation lack of transportation limit the ability of several families from reaching health facilities, noting that the health sector has been affected by the immigration of more than 1,000 health professionals.

To make matters worse, the report cited another public health threat, namely the collapse of the water sector in Lebanon. More specifically, water shortages have affected the operations of fundamental facilities (including hospitals), with some 2.8 million people affected by water shortages, a figure which could reach 4 million. This could result in devastating consequences (such as an increase in fatal waterborne diseases), especially for children. In details, the report mentioned that more than 45% of households did not have enough drinking water at least once in 30 days before the survey in October, compared to below 20% in April. Furthermore, the number of families relying on water trucks for drinking water increased by five folds to more than 21%, with more than 50% of households spending over LBP 100,000 (the equivalent of $5) on water in the month before the survey, up from 20% in April.

In addition, the report divulged that the crises are threatening the right to education of the most vulnerable children. In details, some 440,000 school-age refugee children and a never before seen 260,000 school-age Lebanese children might not return to school in light of a series of challenges, most notably the lack of fuel & electricity, water shortages, and limited funds to pay teachers’ salaries. The report commented that amid the increasing poverty, the most vulnerable families are unable to afford basic expenses such as transportation to school. In addition, the school closures (mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic) have halted the education of over 1.2 million school-age children in 2020 and for several months in 2021, while several schools were either annihilated or damaged from the Beirut port explosion in August 2020.

The UNICEF urged the Lebanese government to take quick steps to safeguard children and guarantee their well-being and development opportunities. In this respect, Mrs. Yukie Mokuo, the UNICEF representative in Lebanon, commented that “Urgent action is needed to ensure no child goes hungry, becomes sick, or has to work rather than receive education”. The report noted that all concerned parties need to put their differences aside and support a comprehensive reform agenda. Sustainable solutions for the most vulnerable requires decreasing income vulnerabilities, revisions in the legal & policy context, long-term normative changes, and access to learning & healthcare to everyone, especially the most vulnerable. Finally, the report mentioned that continued donor support is essential to keep children safe, healthy, and in school.