A man, women, and children sitting in the courtyard of the Azariyé housing complex in downtown Beirut, where people displaced by the conflict in southern Lebanon are sheltered, on October 15, 2024. (Credit: AFP)
The war in Lebanon is having "devastating" consequences on children's lives, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned on Thursday.
"Since Oct.4 of this year, at least one child has been killed each day and ten have been injured," said the organization's director, Catherine Russell, noting that "the ongoing war in Lebanon is devastating children's lives, causing them severe physical injuries and deep psychological trauma."
While "thousands of other children have managed to emerge physically unscathed from these many months of uninterrupted bombardment," they are now suffering from "acute stress due to the violence and chaos surrounding them," she added in a statement.
UNICEF also reminded that the war destroys the safe and protective environments necessary for children. "Exposure to prolonged periods of traumatic stress can have serious repercussions on their health and psychological well-being, which will follow them throughout their lives," the statement emphasized.
The organization further highlighted that it is "working tirelessly to provide emergency psychological support to thousands of children and their caregivers."
"Since September 23, 2024, UNICEF has provided psychological first aid to more than 9,600 children and their caregivers, as well as community support to nearly 10,000 children," it specified.
UNICEF also called for an immediate and permanent cease-fire to ensure safe access to essential services and begin the healing process from the traumas of war. Because "these children cannot truly heal as long as the violence continues... We must act now if we want to prevent more children from being injured or killed and protect the future of every child in the country," the organization concluded.
