One in two children in Lebanon is at serious risk of physical, emotional, or sexual violence, as families struggle to cope in the country’s deepening crisis, according to a new report from UNICEF.
‘Violent beginnings: Children growing up in Lebanon’s crisis’ report also details that around 1.8 million children (more than 80 per cent) are now experiencing multidimensional poverty – up from around 900,000 in 2019 - and risk being forced into abuses such as child labor or child marriage to help their families make ends meet.
The report is released as the Special Representative of the U.N. Secretary-General on Violence Against Children visits Lebanon.
“Lebanon’s crisis threatens the present and the future of millions of children. Ensuring their protection from abuse, harm, and violence and safeguarding their rights are needed more than ever”, emphasized the Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) on Violence against Children, Dr. Najat Maalla M’jid.
"Lebanon is reeling from the impact of national financial and political turmoil, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the aftermath of the August 2020 Beirut Port explosions," the United Nations Information Centre in Beirut said.
The UNICEF report shows that the number of cases of child abuse and exploitation handled by UNICEF and partners shot up by almost half (44 per cent) between October 2020 and October 2021, from 3,913 to 5,621 cases.
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