Young People Leading in Crisis
UNICEF Lebanon Emergency Response
Highlights
Lebanon’s ongoing crises have led to unprecedented challenges, with escalated conflicts since late 2023 significantly intensifying humanitarian needs. While displacement had already begun in 2023, the major displacement from the south occurred within just 24 hours, with families enduring over 10-hour journeys on congested highways as they fled their homes. 1,200,000 people were displaced overnight and in less than a week, the number of collective shelters surged to over 1,000, rapidly overwhelming local capacities and humanitarian services.
The crisis has disproportionately affected children, adolescents, and youth, who faced displacement and severe disruptions to education, livelihoods, and access to basic services. With an urgent need for immediate relief and long-term recovery strategies, UNICEF Lebanon implemented an integrated emergency response to address the evolving situation. Recognising the critical role of adolescents and youth in community resilience, response, and recovery, UNICEF has focused on mobilizing them under one common framework and ensuring their active participation, leveraging their potential as both responders and agents of change in rebuilding affected communities.
UNICEF’s response aligns with the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Guidelines on Working with and for Young People in Humanitarian and Protracted Crises, ensuring that youth are active participants in crisis response. By adopting this approach, UNICEF has created structured opportunities for young people to contribute, develop skills, and build resilience within their communities.
