Increasing bombardment damaging essential services and putting children in Lebanon at great risk: UNICEF

BEIRUT, 16 October 2024 – Children in Lebanon are at growing risk of health and protection issues – including waterborne diseases like cholera, hepatitis and diarrhea – as the continued bombardment of the country increasingly disrupts and damages essential services that families rely on.

At least 28 water facilities have been damaged by the conflict, affecting water supply to more than 360,000 people, primarily in the south of the country. The true extent of the damage to water systems is likely higher, however, as several affected areas are inaccessible to the technical teams assessing damage, delivering fuel and carrying out essential repairs.

Damage due to bombardment has also been reported at several schools, at least 15 hospitals and 70 primary health care centres and emergency medical services. 6 hospitals are now out of service and a further 5 are partially operating, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health.

“As the frequency and intensity of the bombardments in Lebanon increases, extensive damage to essential infrastructure has been recorded and dozens of medical personnel and essential service personnel have been killed,” said UNICEF Lebanon Representative Edouard Beigbeder. “This is disastrous for every child in Lebanon. In line with international humanitarian law, humanitarian personnel and essential service providers must be protected as they deliver lifesaving support to families and children in precarious conditions and civilian infrastructure must be safeguarded. Children are suffering as the world watches these laws be blatantly disregarded.”

At the same time as access to services becomes more difficult, families’ needs are rising rapidly. Humanitarian agencies estimate that one million people need access to health, water and sanitation services.

In areas like Beirut and Mount Lebanon, communities are struggling to meet the growing demand for water, shelter and essential supplies as displaced families continue to arrive seeking safety and support. Based on government figures, 400,000 children are estimated to have been displaced.

The risks for children are acute. Without access to safe water, children are at risk of contracting waterborne diseases like cholera or diarrhea which, without adequate treatment, can result in dehydration and death. The increased pressure and disruption to health services compounds these risks.

Other diseases are at risk of spreading among displaced families, especially in crowded areas without access to hygiene supplies and sanitation services. UNICEF has already received reports of scabies and lice among children at shelters and is concerned about the risk of respiratory infections spreading in coming weeks as the weather gets colder and wetter. Thousands of people remain on the streets of Lebanon without adequate shelter, bedding or clothing.

The massive surge in displacement and the disruption to services also puts children at risk of protection issues, including being separated from their families. Since 8 October 2023, UNICEF and partners have identified 67 unaccompanied and separated children and have since reunited 65 of these children with their families. Being out of school also puts children at increased risk of injury, abuse or child labour. 

UNICEF calls for all parties to protect children from harm and afford them the special protection to which they are entitled, in accordance with their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law.

“Above all else, the children of Lebanon need a ceasefire,” said Beigbeder. “This is the only way to protect them and ensure the aid they need can be safely delivered at scale.”