42% of Lebanese children are denied treatment

Dina Mahmoud (Beirut, London)

“No better future awaits the children of Lebanon, it seems, in light of its current crises.” An extremely harsh and dangerous warning, issued by experts in the field of child care in the world, regarding the dangers besetting the children in this country, as a result of the current political, economic and living storms. .
The worsening crises since 2019, and economically classified among the worst on the international scene in more than 150 years, have led to Lebanese children facing extremely harsh living conditions, and significant threats to their physical, mental and psychological health.
Experts emphasized that the economic and financial collapse hitting Lebanon, causing its local currency to lose 98% of its value and raising the inflation rate in its territory to 269%, which dropped about 80% of the population below the poverty line, led to the deprivation of nearly 700,000 children from continuing their educational path.
Also, 42% of Lebanese children were deprived of health care services. Due to its high cost, and this is in light of the current “free fall” situation in their country, which forced at least one child in a third of Lebanese families to go to bed hungry, after many of these families became unable to provide their food needs, in quantity and quality.
According to a recent assessment conducted by UNICEF, the current crisis, which does not seem to have any relief on the horizon, has forced many Lebanese families to send their children to work instead of school to help increase income, while reducing spending even on essential supplies.
According to the data provided by the report, 86% of families in Lebanon lack sufficient money to secure the necessary requirements for their lives, an increase of at least 10% from the level recorded last year in this regard.
At the same time, the crisis has forced 38% of these families to sell their properties since the beginning of this year, compared to 28% in 2022.
UNICEF officials warned, in statements published by the Irish newspaper, “The Irish Times”, that the worsening crises afflicting Lebanese children at the present time are putting them in “unbearable circumstances” and threatening to destroy their hopes for a better future. The pressures resulting from those crises also led to these young people becoming prey to feelings of anxiety and depression, given that their parents, who are required to provide the basic needs of their children under the pressure of the current situation, have become more tense and less able to deal calmly and wisely with their children.
The UN agency stressed the need for the Lebanese authorities to take swift and decisive measures to protect children and ensure the provision of services and support for them.