UNICEF Warns of Devastating Toll on Children in Lebanon as Conflict Crosses 100-Day Mark.
Beirut:
The humanitarian crisis facing children in Lebanon has reached alarming levels, with hundreds killed or injured and hundreds of thousands suffering psychological trauma, according to a statement issued by UNICEF Country Representative Marcoluigi Corsi.
More than 100 days after hostilities intensified on March 2, UNICEF reported that 247 children have been killed and 992 injured in the conflict. This equates to an average of 12 children being killed or maimed every day, highlighting the severe impact of the violence on the country’s youngest and most vulnerable population.
Corsi said the statistics represent far more than numbers, reflecting countless lives lost, families shattered, and futures placed in jeopardy. He noted that many children have been forced to flee their homes multiple times, witnessed violence firsthand, lost loved ones, and seen their schools and communities destroyed.
According to UNICEF, the crisis extends far beyond physical casualties. An entire generation of Lebanese children has experienced a profound disruption of childhood, with their sense of safety and stability severely undermined by months of conflict and displacement.
Despite growing hopes for a cessation of hostilities, UNICEF stressed that ending the violence alone will not be enough. Children will require long-term protection, psychological support, and restored access to essential services, including education, healthcare, clean water, and sanitation.
The organization highlighted widespread destruction across large parts of Lebanon, affecting homes, schools, and critical infrastructure. Damage to water, sanitation, and hygiene systems has further deepened humanitarian needs and complicated recovery efforts.
UNICEF estimates that more than 770,000 children are currently experiencing heightened emotional distress due to repeated exposure to violence, loss, and displacement. Many families remain unable to return home because of ongoing fighting and the persistent threat posed by unexploded ordnance.
Corsi described the scale of physical and psychological harm inflicted on children as unacceptable, warning that the consequences of the conflict could continue to affect young people for years. He emphasized that the true cost of the crisis would not only be measured in lives lost today but also in educational opportunities missed and long-term developmental setbacks.
UNICEF has renewed its urgent call for a sustained cessation of hostilities and urged all parties to protect children from further harm. The agency also called for the safeguarding of schools, hospitals, water systems, and other civilian infrastructure, while stressing the need for unhindered humanitarian access and adherence to international law.
Concluding the statement, UNICEF underscored that Lebanon’s children deserve not only to survive the current crisis but also to recover from its devastating effects and reclaim the future that conflict has placed at risk.
