UNICEF: 75% of children in Lebanon at risk of poverty

BEIRIT, May 02 (YPA) – The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has revealed that “75% of children in Lebanon at risk of poverty, as multiple overlapping crises push families closer to the brink.

UNICEF said in its report that “around 90,000 people, including at least 30,000 children, have been forced to leave their homes in southern Lebanon, amidst tensions on the border with the Israeli enemy.”

According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, “eight children out of 344 people have died, and 75 children out of 1359 people have been injured” since the outbreak of hostilities last October.

The increase in armed conflict has damaged civilian infrastructure and facilities and has also impacted the essential services that children and families depend on, including significant damage to nine water stations, which serve a population of 100,000 people, according to UNICEF.

UNICEF added, “More than 70 schools are currently closed, affecting around 20,000 students and significantly affecting their education. Around 23 healthcare facilities – serving 4,000 people – are closed due to the hostilities.”

E.M