UNICEF: Four out of Five Families in Lebanon Struggle to Secure Basic Needs
UNICEF report reveals worsening child crisis in Lebanon amid rising hunger and school dropout rates.
Translated by Qiyas from كونا — Original source
Beirut, September 30 (KUNA) -- The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Wednesday that four out of five families in Lebanon are struggling to meet their basic needs, and that “hostilities deepen the impact of years of economic crisis and push children into hunger, school dropout, and child labor.”
In a new report titled “A Continuing Nightmare,” UNICEF highlighted the worsening repercussions of the crisis on children and youth across Lebanon, stating that children “are facing hunger, losing access to healthcare and education, and suffering from increasing psychological distress.”
The report noted that more than one in five surveyed families—22 percent—reported that their children “went to bed hungry,” while only 10 percent of families with children under five could provide a sufficiently diverse diet. It also pointed out that 31 percent of families said their children did not receive the healthcare they needed, with the main reason being the inability to afford it.
Additionally, 14 percent of families reported that at least one child was engaged in the labor market, a figure that “is more than double the rate recorded in January 2025,” according to the organization.
UNICEF’s representative in Lebanon, Marcolouigi Corsi, stated that “children and youth in Lebanon are being asked to bear a burden that no child should have to carry.” He added that “families are being pushed to the brink of their capacity, while children lose access to healthcare and education, are forced into work, and suffer profound psychological distress.”
Corsi warned, “Without urgent and sustained action, an entire generation of children and youth will carry the effects of this crisis with them for many years, well into adulthood.” He emphasized that “Lebanon’s recovery depends on protecting children now, safeguarding their right to healthcare, education, and protection, and providing the opportunities they need to build their future.”
UNICEF reaffirmed its continued response to urgent humanitarian needs, including support for national systems and services relied upon by children and families. Since January, it has intensified its efforts by treating injured children, delivering essential supplies to shelters and medical facilities, and providing care for displaced families.
It is worth noting that the cumulative toll of the Israeli occupation’s aggression on Lebanon, according to the Ministry of Health, from March 2 to September 25, 2026, reached 4,386 killed and 12,413 injured. This raises the overall toll of the aggression since October 8, 2023, to 8,953 killed and 30,649 injured. (End) A.Y.B. / N.A.A.
