One in ten children in Lebanon displaced as war enters second week

According to United Nations estimates, nearly 700,000 people have been displaced across Lebanon in recent days, including around 200,000 children – not including those who were displaced prior to the latest escalation. With Lebanon home to roughly 1.8 million children, one in every ten children is now displaced. The surge in displacement comes amid intensified airstrikes in Lebanon, where civilian infrastructure and residential areas have been affected.

"Since the escalation began, we have seen entire families arriving in waves across the Bekaa area and North Lebanon with almost nothing”, said a staff member from the Lebanese Organization for Studies and Training (LOST), one of War Child’s implementing partners in Lebanon. “Many people are staying with relatives or in informal shelters, and the pressure on local communities is growing by the hour. Our teams on the ground have mobilised immediately, reopening operational centers and preparing warehouses and field kitchens [to be used as shelters and safe spaces]. But the needs are already outpacing what we can cover with existing resources.”

Children on the move face multiple risks, including separation from family members, disruption to education and psychological trauma, increased risks of exploitation, child labour, early marriage, and multiple kinds of violence. War Child is particularly concerned about children living in constant fear for their safety, the risk of airstrikes on shelters, and the heightened risks of mental health and psychosocial support, particularly those who may have been separated from their families.

“Across Lebanon, children are being killed, injured, and forced to flee their homes in fear. Tonight, thousands are sleeping on classroom floors or informal shelters, with relatives, and on the streets, instead of at home,” said Flutra Gorana, War Child Middle East Regional Director. “Losing your home means losing the place where you feel safe, and that stays with a child for a long time.”

War Child and its implementing partners are scaling up their emergency response to support affected families. Alongside our partner Lebanese Organization for Studies and Training (LOST) we are managing shelters, registering new arrivals, and providing daily meals, drinking water, and essential hygiene items. So far, we have distributed more than 4,700 cold meals.

War Child calls on all parties to immediately de-escalate the violence, protect children and their families, ensure schools and shelters remain safe, and uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law. Flexible funding is also urgently required to ensure children’s increasing needs can be met, including ensuring children and their families are able to access safe shelter, food, clean water, education, and psychosocial support.

At present, funding mechanisms are not keeping pace with the scale and speed of the displacement. Governments and institutional donors must urgently activate and expand flexible humanitarian financing to support frontline responders and local partners already delivering assistance. Without immediate and predictable funding, organisations on the ground will struggle to sustain life-saving support for displaced children and their families in the days and weeks ahead.

Spokespeople are available for interview.