ROMA – Over 27,000 people have fled Lebanon in the last 48 hours. The toll is 558 dead and 1,835 injured. Thousands of Lebanese and Syrian families are fleeing Lebanon to Syria as Israeli airstrikes continue to devastate civilian lives. The NGO Save The Children highlights that more than 72% of the population in Syria, or around 16.7 million people, are in need of assistance – the highest number since the crisis began in 2011. 45% are children. Urgent need for funds that prioritize the needs and recovery of displaced children, young people and the communities that host them.
Many children travel alone. According to the Organization, in the last seven weeks, approximately 300,000 children have fled Lebanon towards Syria to seek safety due to the worsening conflict, and arrive in a country where humanitarian needs have never been higher. Many children are traveling alone, separated from parents or families, at risk of abuse, illness and suffering from food shortages as winter looms.
70% of the displaced people are Syrian. It is estimated that 70% of those displaced from Lebanon to Syria are Syrian, while the rest are Lebanese or other nationalities. The United Nations estimates that around 60% are children and adolescents, many of whom are in desperate need of medical care, shelter, food and water. At least 1.2 million people in Lebanon – a fifth of the total population – have been displaced since the violence escalated, including many of the Syrian refugees (around 1.5 million in total) who have found refuge in Lebanon since the start of the conflict in their country, 13 years ago.
The story of a 28 year old woman. “When the conflict broke out in Lebanon, it brought with it terror. We were frightened by the sounds of shelling and gunfire, as we lived in a tent that any bullet could penetrate. We saw destroyed buildings and heard the screams of people fleeing the bombing. We have witnessed terrifying events and situations that we will never forget. We were forced to leave Lebanon and return to Syria,” said Maysa*, 28, a Syrian refugee who lived in Lebanon with her husband and two young children and who, due to the violence, has now been forced to flee to Syria .
The freezing nights. “It freezes at night – says Maysa – and I have nothing to keep my children warm. My son got sick due to the cold, he had the flu and inflammation all over his body. We have little food left. I live in constant worry about providing food and clothing for my children.”
Save the Children’s work in Syria and Lebanon. The NGO has been working in Syria since 2012, reaching over ten million people, including more than six million children, through emergency, life-saving and early recovery activities that support the restoration of basic services, child protection and , education, food security, provision of livelihoods and sanitation, health and nutrition. Save the Children has been working in Lebanon since 1953, helping children survive, learn and stay safe. Since October 2023, we have scaled up our response in southern Lebanon, supporting Lebanese, Syrian and Palestinian children and families displaced by violence.
#Lebanon #thousand #children #fled #country #Syria #aid #greater
–
